Kyrie Irving addressed reporters on 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 lineup that will look like decidedly different from the one he left.
More than 12 minutes into a call from Zoom, Irving said very little.
But when he said little, he said a lot.
Irving was not interested in publicly explaining his absence. “A lot of family and personal things going on,” said Irving. He was not inclined to address his violation of league protocols, which surfaced after a video of an unmasked Irving appeared at a family birthday party. “I’m happy to be back,” Irving joked. When asked if he was okay, Irving, with his body slumped forward in the chair, arms crossed, chin resting on his forearms, simply nodded.
Irving is under no obligation to explain anything publicly, of course. He says he addressed his teammates, some individually, and was ready to move on. These teammates supported. Steve Nash expressed enthusiasm about Irving’s return. James Harden’s arrival gave Brooklyn a real Big Three – if Irving is committed to being part of it.
Irving is back, but if there is any difference in Irving’s availability of media, it is that whatever kept him from the team is still weighing on him. Irving has always been peculiar, the controversies in which he has been involved (flat earth, subtle digging in former teammate LeBron James, etc.) often self-inflicted. This, however, seems different. After the high-profile deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Irving embraced the growing social justice movement. Last June, Irving was among the loudest voices asking players to consider boycotting the NBA restart. Irving’s last game was on January 5º. A day later, violent domestic terrorists attacked the United States Capitol.
Irving said he had to create a “separation” between the current political climate and play in the NBA.
He also said the events of the past few months were “difficult to ignore”.
“I would be lying here and saying that I don’t feel what’s going on in the world, nor am I paying attention to it,” said Irving. “I feel that I have a great responsibility to continue to serve my community and the needy. And when I’m here playing, it is to keep letting these guys know and committing to something, as I always say, bigger than us. “
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There may be another problem. The Nets are a better team than the one Irving left. Harden was brilliant in his first two games in Brooklyn. He accumulated a double triple of 30 points on his Nets debut. He moved on with 34 points and 12 assists in a narrow victory over Milwaukee. His reunion with Durant, a former Oklahoma City teammate, looked perfect.
Irving must be excited to join a team with that kind of firepower. And maybe he is. But this is Irving. He forced an exchange in Cleveland just a year after winning a championship. He fled Boston months after publicly proclaiming that he was returning. In 2019, Irving, in control of his future for the first time, chose Brooklyn, chose Durant, chose to pursue a championship in his home market with his closest friend.
He chose not to do anything with Harden. Asked about the addition of Harden, Irving’s response was measured. “It is really exciting to be able to play with great players who have been here in the league for some time,” said Irving. “It has already gone through ups and downs, peaks and valleys. James is aligned with us in terms of experience. Adding that to our locker room will be great for us. “
Sound like a player looking forward to another Big Three experience?
“When things get overwhelming in life, you just need to step back and realize what’s important,” said Irving. “And I love to play – it was never an issue. I committed myself, when it wasn’t even a thing for me. “
Irving’s adherence is critical to Brooklyn’s success. The Nets are far from perfect. The exchange, along with the loss of Spencer Dinwiddie due to an ACL injury, stole the team’s depth. The defense, already unstable, is worse. There is a lot of responsibility being placed on DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green. Harden’s early game is promising. He showed a willingness to be an ace, important for a team that will need to share the ball.
But will Irving embrace a role that gets him out of the ball more?
Will Irving, who signed on to play with Durant, be willing to sacrifice more of his attack to play with Harden?
“Very excited,” Irving said, sounding anything but.
Irving is not a bad guy. He paid tuition for children at his old school, The Patrick School. He literally provided the money to prevent the school from closing. He remodeled the gym, the dressing room and the weight room. On Tuesday, Irving confirmed that he was involved in buying a home for Floyd’s family, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer last May. He doesn’t look for credit – Floyd’s story only appeared 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 the responsibilities that come with it. He wants to win, but he seems to want it on his own terms. He may be part of something special in Brooklyn, a champion team that can accumulate titles in the years to come. Or he may decide that this situation is not for him and be part of the reason why it falls apart.