Kyrie Irving is ready to leave behind a tumultuous time in Brooklyn and focus on his future in Dallas.
A year after being traded to the Nets, Irving returned for the first time Tuesday night and said he doesn't care about what people think of his three-and-a-half seasons in Brooklyn. He also doesn't think there's any point in thinking about the bad break on the court and the drama that ensued from it.
“Even if it doesn't work out, I don't want to get too deep into it because I love protecting people in the business,” Irving said. “Again, I wish them all the best, but the conversations that needed to be had didn't happen before the trade deadline, and I don't know if there's anything we need to take back. I just wish them all the best.” I think it's time to get it.'' I picked myself up and went to a place where I was able to grow.
“I was in a situation where I didn't have to worry about behind-the-scenes stories or media stories or not knowing how to handle real-life situations that had nothing to do with the game of basketball. It's about how you treat people as people. I've learned a lot of lessons during my time here, but like I said, I want to make peace with myself again and just move on.”
Irving scored 36 points in front of a crowd that included many of the point guard's family and friends who grew up in New York and New Jersey. The Nets fan, who watched the Nets play in the NBA Finals in the early 2000s, made a memorable move in the summer of 2019 by joining his best friend Kevin Durant on the Nets.
James Harden joined the team for the 2020-21 season, but he couldn't get close to a title. Brooklyn won just one series with the All-Star trio, then lost Harden and Irving to injury in the Eastern Conference semifinals against eventual champion Milwaukee, and in Game 7, Durant's shot just before regulation ended was the tie-breaking 2-point shot. They were judged and lost in overtime. Instead of the series winning 3.
Irving refused New York City's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, making him ineligible to play in most of Brooklyn's home games next season, and a disgruntled Harden asked to be traded. And Irving was suspended by the team last season after refusing to apologize for posting a link to his anti-Semitic work on social media. The souring relationship ended when he was transferred to Dallas midway through the season.
“Things could have been different. I look back and have a 20-20 vision. This could have worked out, this could have happened,” Irving said. “Even if he didn't get hurt against the Bucks, would he still ask for a trade, or even if KD's foot wasn't on the 3-point line, if James didn't ask for a trade, here's another legacy.'' Are you talking?'' All the things that could have been, could have been, should have been, and hopefully after tonight I can put it to rest and move on, and I'll do the rest. A second championship to look forward to in my career and be able to handle it in Dallas and chase my job. ”
The Nets did not provide Irving with the video tribute they did for Durant. He was booed by the fans early in the match, but the cheers soon grew louder and he was warmly welcomed by many fans after the match.
However, he exchanged words with one of them during the game regarding vaccination requirements. Some fans believed Irving had to take the shot to play, while others supported Irving for standing up for what he believed in.
So he won't judge his tenure solely on overwhelming results.
“We obviously fell short in terms of championship aspirations, but I think it was bigger than a championship here for me,” Irving said. “I really had to take some moral stances that propelled me to a place in my life that I had to get used to. There were some political things going on here too, but it was my It was a responsibility and I had no control over it. Looking back, there were some things I did of my own volition, but they were mistakes. I have to take responsibility for them. . It's not perfect, but one thing I can say is that I was able to learn from things and keep moving forward.”
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