Kyrie Irving addressed reporters Tuesday, two weeks after his last game, four days after the NBA fined him $ 50,000 for violating his health and safety protocols and 24 hours before he returned to a line that will he looked completely different from the one he had. Left.
In 12 minutes on a Zoom call, Irving said very little.
But, to say the least, he said a lot.
Irving was not interested in explaining his absence publicly. “A lot of family and personal things happen,” Irving said. He was not inclined to address the violation of league protocols, which came to light after a video of a masked Irving appeared at a family birthday party. “I’m glad I’m back,” Irving said deadly. When asked if he was okay, Irving, his body fell forward in his chair, arms folded, his chin resting on his forearms, nodded.
Irving has no obligation to explain anything publicly, of course. He says he addressed his colleagues, some individually, and was ready to move on. These teammates were supportive. Steve Nash expressed his enthusiasm for Irving’s return. James Harden’s arrival gave Brooklyn a real Big Three – if Irving commits to being part of it.
Irving is back, but if there’s a way to get rid of Irving’s media availability, everything that took him away from the team is still heavy. Irving has always been weird, the controversies he got involved in (Flat Earth, subtle digging at former teammate LeBron James, etc.) often self-provoked. However, this feels different. Following the high-quality killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Irving has embraced the growing social justice movement. In June last year, Irving was among the strongest voices calling on players to consider boycotting the NBA replay. Irving’s last game was on January 5thof. A day later, violent domestic terrorists attacked the US Chapter.
Irving said he had to create a “separation” between the current political climate and the NBA game.
He also said that the event in recent months was “hard to ignore”.
“I’d lie sitting here and say I don’t feel what’s going on in the world, and I’m not paying attention to that,” Irving said. “I feel I have a huge responsibility to continue to serve my community and the underprivileged. And when I’m here playing, I keep letting these guys know and commit to something, as I always say, bigger than us. ”
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There could be another problem. The Nets are a better team than Irving. Harden was brilliant in his first two Brooklyn games. He scored a 30-point triple-double in his Nets debut. He followed with a 34-point effort, 12 assists in a narrow victory over Milwaukee. His meeting with Durant, a former teammate from Oklahoma City, looked smooth.
Irving should be delighted to join a team with this type of firepower. And maybe it is. But this is Irving. He was forced to give up Cleveland just one year after winning a championship. He vaulted Boston on Monday after publicly announcing his return. In 2019, Irving, who controls his future for the first time, chose Brooklyn, chose Durant, chose to run a championship in his home market with his closest friend.
He didn’t choose to do anything with Harden. Asked about the addition of Harden, Irving’s response felt measured. “It’s really interesting to be able to play with great players who have been here in the league for a while,” Irving said. “We went through ups and downs, peaks and valleys. James is aligned with us in terms of experience. This addition to our locker room will be great for us. ”
Sounds like a player eager for another experience in the Big Three?
“When things get overwhelming in life, you just have to take a step back and realize what’s important,” Irving said. “And I like to play – it was never a question. I got hired when I wasn’t. It’s not even a thing for me. ”
Irving’s buy-in is key to Brooklyn’s success. The nets are far from impeccable. The transaction, combined with the loss of Spencer Dinwiddie due to an ACL injury, robbed the team of depth. The defense, already shaken, is worse. There is a great responsibility on DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green. Harden’s early play is promising. He was willing to be a player, important for a team that will have to share the ball.
But will Irving embrace a role that will get him more out of the ball?
Will Irving, who signed to play Durant, be willing to sacrifice more of his offense to play Harden?
“Very excited,” Irving said, calling something other than.
Irving is not a bad guy. He paid for tuition at his former high school, Patrick School. He literally offered the money to save the school from closure. He renovated the gym, locker room and weight room. On Tuesday, Irving confirmed he was involved in buying a home for Floyd’s family, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May. He’s not looking for credit – Floyd’s story came only after Stephen Jackson, a close friend of Floyd’s, revealed it on a podcast.
But Irving is complicated. He likes to play basketball, but he doesn’t care about some of his responsibilities. He wants to win, but he seems to want to do it only on his own terms. He can be part of something special in Brooklyn, a championship team that can win titles for years to come. Or he may decide that this situation is not for him and be part of the reason why he is doing well.