Kyrie Irving is the subject of one of the more bizarre lawsuits the sports world has seen in recent years.
The Dallas Mavericks guard was sued in New York state court by a health and wellness company called Elite Mind Solutions, run by a person named Natasha McCartney, for allegedly declining to pay a $390,710 bill from a family retreat this summer.
The lawsuit claims Irving hired Elite Mind Solutions around April for a five-day retreat between June 28 and July 4 to provide “therapy workshops” and “comprehensive health and wellness services” for 50-60 people at the Irving family retreat. That promised headcount allegedly ballooned to 115 on June 19, then to approximately 150 when the date arrived.
On its website, Elite Mind Solutions says it is “the only sport psychology consultancy that harnesses emotional intelligence as a catalyst for peak performance, providing structured, evidence-based support that empowers athletesfrom ambitious amateurs to Olympic contendersto manage pressure, refocus, and excel under any condition.”
Per the Independent, these services were … expensive:
McCartney, who has reportedly worked with Irving since 2020, claimed to have reorganized her program to accommodate the extra guests, but it ended prematurely “due to the tragic death of a participant during the event.” The plaintiff said she also retained the security services of her husband, Shawn McCartney, a retired NYPD internal affairs detective to manage the crisis intervention.
Three invoices were reportedly submitted for the event, with two totaling $290,000 for McCartney’s services in June and July and another for $100,710 for services performed by a company called Luxe Dreams Branding Agency in connection to the retreat.
After the retreat, Elite Mind Solutions alleges Irving’s camp refused to honor their agreement and that they have lost confidence he will pay. They are now accusing Irving of breach of contract, unjust enrichment and fraud, and seeking payment of the nearly $400,000, plus interest, costs and attorneys fees.
McCartney’s lawyer’s comment, via the Independent:
Irving is currently in the second year of a three-year, $126 million contract he signed with the Mavericks last year.