Your attention is what gives anything power.

Think about that. Your attention is what gives anything power. Many interpretations here. But loosely translated, it goes something like, "it's better to ignore an idiot than argue with him."

It is not lost on me that I'm going to violate the premise of today's discourse by focusing attention on that which should be ignored. I'm either doing it to prove a point or maybe I can't help myself.

Questions: What is it about narcissists that make them so irresistible? Wouldn't it be better to just ignore them?

Sports news from last week produced the revelation that Kyrie Irving, whose bizarre musings often suggest his cord doesn't always reach the outlet, decided he's not talking to the media this year. Irving, a former Celtic and Dookie, plays for the Brooklyn Nets.

The NBA, whose players used the media deftly over the summer to successfully push for social change, fined Irving $25,000 for "failing to meet his preseason media obligations."

Irving used social media in retort: "I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more."

He has since quoted Malcolm X, saying he is "for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole." He wants to utilize the fine money for "marginalized communities in need, especially seeing where our world is presently. I am here for Peace, Love, and Greatness. So stop distracting me and my team, and appreciate the Art. We move different over here."

Of note, according to a story in Saturday's Boston Globe, Irving has said in the past he believes the earth is flat, the Federal Reserve played a role in the JFK assassination and the CIA tried to kill Bob Marley. He has not yet rendered an opinion on Elvis.

It is my contention that of all 26 letters in the alphabet, Irving's favorite is "I." Call him what you'd like: attention-seeker, self-promoter. And his tactics are brilliant. By refusing to speak to the media, the media will talk about him more. Attention is what gives anything power.

I'm thinking the best way to render Irving irrelevant is to ignore him. Permanently. Just because he scores 50 points one night for the Nets doesn't mean we need to hear his feelings on the subject. If he doesn't want to talk, grant him his wish. It's just that if he perhaps sets the NBA single-game scoring record one night or makes a halfcourt shot at the buzzer, Irving should remember that radio silence still applies.

Guessing he'd hate that. The result would be a boomerang. Ignore him long enough and he'd come back. Narcissists can't help themselves.

But then, why are we so drawn to narcissistic behavior? Your attention is what gives anything power. Narcissists crave attention. So why do we give it?

I've thought the same thing about the White House press corps for a while now. Many (most?) people in journalism would dismiss me as daffy for suggesting that the media stop covering Mr. Trump. He's the president, after all.

But I'd make him a narcissist first.

And they hate being ignored.

Now I realize that news outlets with conservative bents would never willfully ignore The Big Enchilada. But if Trumpians are correct in their assertion that the media is mostly an alarming assimilation of snowflake lefties, that would leave a pretty barren press room.

Admittedly in the beginning, Mr. Trump's ruminations made for must see TV. Four years later, he's a one-act play. And so why should we really care anymore?

I'd be fascinated to see how Mr. Trump would react to silence. The same applies to Kyrie Irving.

I can only speak for myself here. But honestly: If I never, ever, ever heard or read one more thing about Mr. Trump or Mr. Irving, my life would carry on merrily. It's just that we in the media are dumb enough to be duped by the people we're actually mocking.

I say we try it for a month. Maybe we could start with Irving. Full on ignore. No attempts to talk to him. No fines. No quoting his social media reflections. All in all, he's just another brick in the wall. Oh, how he'd hate that. All narcissists do.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro