Kyrie Irving returned to Brooklyn Nets after two weeks away from the team and addressed the media for the first time since he took a leave of absence.
Irving lost seven games in total, including five for personal reasons and two for fitness. He lost almost $ 817,000 in salary while being quarantined for two games, like ESPN’s Bobby Marks noticed. The NBA also fined Irving $ 50,000 for violating the league’s health and safety protocols after videos of him attending a family birthday party surfaced.
What made the Brooklyn star leave the team?
“I had a lot of family and personal things going on,” said Irving without disclosing further details. “So, I just want to leave it at that.”
While his response left more to be desired by reporters and the public, Irving addressed his absence privately with the Nets organization and his teammates, according to the coach. Steve Nash.
“I think Ky is working very hard mentally to put himself in a great position to perform,” said Nash. “I am proud of him for the effort he is making there.”
After training on Tuesday, Irving and Nash called the comeback “exciting”. The six-time All-Star was not listed in the injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and will make his comeback then.
Prior to his early return, Irving acknowledged some personal struggles during his time away from the team and sought guidance.
“I’m just being honest here,” said Irving. “It has been a lot to balance and now I asked for help, and now I have so many mentors and so many people reaching out and taking things from my plate that were never mine in the first place.”
Following his availability of media, Irving posted a express disappointment around Irving’s absence, he said the organization would support its star player, and they did, according to Irving.
“It’s been great,” said Irving. “It has been enough support for me to feel that they are supporting me, and that is all I can ask for, not only for supporting me, but also my family. I’m a boy from a hometown, so things get a little different when personal and family things are going on, and it’s up to me to deal with it as a man. I just take full responsibility for my actions with the guys and I just had a conversation with each of them, and we moved on. “
As Irving joins the group back in Brooklyn, he will do so with a new teammate, James Harden. So far, Harden and his former teammate Kevin Durant mixed well. The jury has yet to decide whether Irving and Harden can coexist on the backcourt, as both players are used to being the main game creators.
“It is really exciting to be able to play with great players who have been here in the league for a while and have gone through ups and downs, peaks and valleys,” said Irving. “James is aligned with us in terms of experience. Adding that to our locker room will be great for us. “
Irving’s return is an opportunity to show that he can adapt his game as a top scorer and dispel any doubts about his commitment to his teammates and basketball outside the organization.
“What’s really interesting when you take a break from everything is that there are a lot of assumptions about what’s going on, and a lot of people feel they know me better,” said Irving. “They have no idea who I am, or what I am, or what I stand for, or even try to take a break, or even if I invite them to take a break, so it’s a two-way street. When things get overwhelming in life, you just need to step back and realize what’s important. I love play. It was never a question. I committed myself when it wasn’t even a thing for me. I didn’t really care about the media. I really didn’t care about the fandom. All that mattered was just the ethics of the game and learning the basics. “
Irving, who grew up rooting for the Nets in New Jersey, apologized to fans for his absence and emphasized his commitment to winning a title and improving the community.
“I started out as a fanatic,” explained Irving. “I started out as a fan. I have invested in this organization since I was a child. Now that I am in that role as a player, there is a big difference. The fans out there, I want to apologize to them too. My commitment has always been to bring something special to Brooklyn. It wasn’t just a championship. It was unity. It was equality. These are bigger things than just the game itself. It took a while and some vouchers to get home, initially. So for me, I’m just taking it every day, just being grateful. But for the casual or the fanatic, it is part of our culture. I’m back. I’m happy to be back. We have some great pieces and we just move on, and I let my actions and my game speak for themselves, as I planned to do. I just needed a break. “
Some speculated that part of the “break” that Irving needed was about concerns about social and political justice.
“With everything that’s going on in the world politically, socially, it’s hard to ignore,” admitted Irving. “I want to make changes daily. There are so many oppressed communities and so many things going on that are bigger than just a ball going over the edge. “
During his career, Irving gave back to the community in a number of ways, including buying a home for George Floyd’s family, committing $ 1.5 million in WNBA salaries to supplement the income of players who chose to leave the bubble for reasons of coronavirus or social justice, and donating to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and more than $ 300,000 and 250,000 meals to Feeding America.
“For me, it’s just the balance of that, knowing that I can delegate my responsibilities off the court to the people I’m surrounded by who are fighting and who are fighting backstage and in front of the lines,” said Irving. . “I am not the only one who is fighting. I am grateful to join with others. That’s all I try to do. On the court, in the same way. Play with a smile, leave something that I feel very dear to my heart with this game. Whatever my legacy after that as a person, that’s all that really matters. “
You can follow Michael Scotto on Twitter: @MikeAScotto