7x All-Star Kyrie Irving has hinted at early retirement in the past.
Back in 2018, he told the media he was keen on playing in the league until his ‘early to mid-thirties,’ a rather unorthodox choice for any star player in this modernized NBA.
Now, in 2021, Kyrie is 29-years-old, and there doesn’t seem to be any signs he’s ready to walk away anytime soon.
Interestingly, however, there is a particular circumstance that could change that, as Nick Wright revealed in a recent post on Twitter:
Some NBA news: There are a handful of Kyrie trades that potentially make sense for the Nets, Kyrie’s agents have made it known that Kyrie would simply *retire from the NBA* if Brooklyn were to trade him.
Some NBA news:
There are a handful of Kyrie trades that potentially make sense for the Nets, Kyrie’s agents have made it known that Kyrie would simply *retire from the NBA* if Brooklyn were to trade him.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) September 15, 2021
Kyrie signed in Brooklyn back in 2019, forming a two-star tandem that eventually grew to three. The star guard has missed some time over the past two years and has failed to lift his team past the Eastern Conference Semis. Still, he’s obviously more than content with where he is.
The good news for Irving is that there doesn’t seem to be any real plans to trade him moving forward. Following a series of commendable moves in free agency, the Nets have a solid team that many are calling title-favorites. It’s a good situation to be in for any player, and an especially good one for Irving, who apparently has unprecedented control over the organization.
“Tried to clear up Kyrie trade stuff here: more like grumbling than rumblings from Nets Management. He controls them more than they do him—that’s a good thing. A solution, as Steve Nash’s team motto goes: Protect the Group. AKA let Ky be Ky. Not gonna deal him,” Sullivan said on ‘Celtics Lab,’ via The Sports Rush.
Still, at times, it does seem like Kyrie already has one foot out the door. Besides some of his past reflections about retirement, he’s always distracting himself with current events or certain issues that can sometimes pull him away from his teammates and the game.
If the day ever does come when Irving gets sent packing, Nick Wright is warning us all that the guy might never come back. And at this point, it’s really not all that hard to believe.
