Kyrie Irving has been one of the most polarizing players in the NBA for a variety of reasons that range from what he does on the court to what he says off the court. When he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Irving played like a superstar, but he also had some controversies off the floor.
There were two notable instances in which Irving found himself under fire either for his actions or for his words. For one, Irving’s refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine during the 2021-22 season caused him to miss significant time due to various mandates preventing him from playing on a consistent basis.
For another, in October of last season, Irving tweeted a link to a film containing antisemitic rhetoric, landing him and the Nets into some hot water. Irving eventually made it back to the court before he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February.
With Irving playing the Nets on Friday for the first time since his trade last season, Brian Lewis of the New York Post was able to speak with Irving about everything that happened in Brooklyn prior to his departure. Here’s some of what Irving said:
“I was never on bad terms with the organization. I just think there was a lot of chaos and noise, as usual, from the media. I’m not going to blame you guys or anything, but nobody really knew what was going on behind the scenes. I’m sure that people have their sources they go to [about] what was going on and what really happened. For me, it was the best decision of my career to ask for a trade. I knew I needed peace of mind.”
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