Welp. The latest Kyrie Irving drama in Brooklyn continues and they haven’t even dribbled a single basketball yet.
Last week, during the Nets’ media week, Irving left a statement with a team spokesperson revealing that he wouldn’t be speaking with the media and would, instead, “let my work on and off the court speak for itself.”
Of course, that’s a violation of the league’s media protocols and it resulted in a fine of $25,000 that the league hit him with on Thursdsay.
He certainly wasn’t going to let that go unchecked. On Friday, Irving issued a response via his Instagram. He started off with a Malcolm X quote and said he was for peace, love and greatness. He also said he hopes his fine money goes to helping marginalized communities.
Then he said “I do not talk to pawns.” Sheesh. Here’s a look.
“I pray we utilize the “fine money” for the marginalized communities in need, especially seeing where our world is presently. (I am) I am here for peace, love and greatness. So stop distracting me and my team, and appreciate the art. We move different over here. I do not talk to pawns. My attention is worth more.”
Whew, man. That is a whole lot. First, he says he’s for peace and love. Then he’s calling people pawns. That, right there, is a journey in itself.
Look, it’s easy to understand why Kyrie Irving wouldn’t want to speak with the media. He was labeled a disruptor and an agitator for questioning the NBA’s motives for returning and suggesting his fellow players should skip the bubble and commit their time to fight for change after police officers killed of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
He wasn’t wrong for his questions there and wasn’t wrong for his suggestions. Yet, he was labeled as a villain. And he has the right to be upset about that.
If he doesn’t want to talk to the media, fine. Don’t! He can just pull a Marshawn Lynch and say he’s just there so he won’t get fined. He can give them terrible answers. He can actively evade questions. There are ways to do this without the needless drama.
What he’s doing right now is only adding on to the story. The only one “distracting” him and his team is Irving himself.
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