Kyrie Irving will miss Friday’s Nets game against the Grizzlies for what Brooklyn called personal reasons and did not fly with the team to Memphis.
A source familiar with the situation told The Post that Irving is physically well, but was upset by the attack on Capitol Hill in Washington DC by supporters of President Donald Trump.
The association also reported the Breonna Taylor verdict and the lack of punishment for officers who shot and killed the 26-year-old also contributed to Irving’s decision.
But All-Star is not AWOL, and the team was aware of why it was not playing. Irving, in essence, took personal days.
Irving, who considered Kobe Bryant a close friend and mentor, left the garden and did not face the Knicks on January 26 after hearing about the tragic death of the Lakers icon. The Guardian was limited to just 20 games in his Brooklyn debut campaign, with shoulder surgery ending the season.
Nets coach Steve Nash said both before Thursday’s victory over Philadelphia and again after that that he doesn’t know why Irving doesn’t play or at Barclays Center. But a second source familiar with the situation said that the goalkeeper not only contacted the team in advance, but that the essence of the information was passed on to Nash.
Irving is sixth in the NBA with a score of 27.1 points. The Nets play Memphis on Friday at the end of a back-to-back and return home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.