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Tim BontempsESPN
BOSTON – Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving says she plans to burn sage before every game this season to honor her Native American heritage.
Irving was seen burning wisely – what is known as “smudging” – on the field at TD Garden during the warm-ups before the Nets beat the Boston Celtics 113-89 Friday night in the NBA pre-season finale for both teams.
“It just comes from a lot of native tribes,” Irving said after the game. “Being able to understand, purify the energy, make sure we are all balanced. When we get into this job, we get into this place, we didn’t do anything at home that we did today. I saved the last game and I intend to save almost every game if the opposing team allows me.
“But, literally, it’s more or less for us to stay connected and feel great when we go to work and feel safe and secure by our ancestors. I will not bring much of the spirituality to basketball, but yes, it is part of my native culture where I come from. “
Irving was introduced to the Rock Sioux Standing Tribe – whose member was his mother, Elizabeth – in the summer of 2018. When he was seen burning the sage before Friday’s game, it was speculated that he might have something to do with his return and playing in Boston for the first time since leaving as a free agent to join the Nets last summer.
But it was no surprise to his colleagues.
“That’s his job. Kyrie probably understands his camera before he plays 2K when he gets home,” Kevin Durant told ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth.
“Exactly what he does. That gives us good energy. He does it in the locker room. That’s his job and we all respect him. We respect his method and he comes out here and plays extremely hard for us.”
As for the game itself, the Nets made the cruise, blowing the Celtics a week before the two teams met in Boston on Christmas Day (17:00 ET, ABC). Irving had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 28 minutes, while Durant had 25 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes.
And despite Irving’s fierce departure from Boston, as well as the trials and tribulations that went into his second season with the Celtics, he was all smiles after the game. He had a long discussion and a hug with Celtics assistant coach Jerome Allen and exchanged greetings with former teammates Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Daniel Theis and Robert Williams.
Irving exchanged T-shirts with Tatum and Williams and had a long, optimistic discussion with both Brown and Tatum before leaving court. He said afterwards that returning to play here was nothing noteworthy for him.
“It’s like another day at work, honestly,” Irving said. “I’m grateful that I can have relationships with a lot of these guys who are still here, guys who aren’t here yet. And at the end of the day, we went to war together. And I respect all those young people down there.
“We are not even young. We are just young kings growing up in a business where we want to do what makes us happy. Let’s see Jayson get better, let’s see how Jaylen gets better, let’s see these mature guys and be in positions I’m in, I’m just proud of them. Seeing other guys be happy, that’s what I might want. Coming here is easy, man. Making it here is easy. Making it here is easy. Basketball is the easy part. Only external things beforehand become noisy, so I try to limit this. “