Kyrie Irving’s recent controversy caused quite a furor. And the impact of it was massive, as the Brooklyn Nets suspended the guard for five games.
The 30-year-old ruffled feathers of not just the front office but also on social media when he promoted an antisemitic film. Now, his teammate, Kevin Durant, seemingly threw shade at Irving.
Per a tweet by Brian Lewis of The New York Post, the forward felt all of this was quite unnecessary and also took a dig at the media for making the controversy spread.
Kevin Durant: “I’m not here to judge somebody or talk down on the life or how they feel their views. I just didn't like anything that went on. I felt like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization.” #nets
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) November 4, 2022
Kevin Durant: “I’m not here to judge somebody or talk down on the life or how they feel their views. I just didn’t like anything that went on. I felt like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization.” #nets
Per a ClutchPoints report, he further added:
“This is the way the #NBA is now, media, so many outlets now and their stories hit pretty fast now. So that’s where all the chaos is coming from. Everybody has an opinion on the situation, and we’re hearing it nonstop.”
The franchise suspended the player earlier after his second interaction with the media saw him fail to issue an apology. The Nets also put out a strong statement regarding the same.
NBA Insider Feels Kyrie Irving Has Played His Last Game For The Brooklyn Nets
While Kevin Durant had his opinion on the Irving fiasco, ESPN’s NBA Insider, Nick Friedell, felt that the guard had played his last game for the franchise.
Safe to say, the exit might not be much of a surprise given all the recent fiasco he’s been embroiled in with the franchise. It was his refusal to get vaccinated last year that generated all the attention, and he missed a sizeable chunk of games for the franchise.
According to ClutchPoints:
“There are so many people within the [Nets] organization who are so tired of the stuff off the floor… Day by day, Kyrie has eroded the trust within the organization. So, as we sit here right now with the suspension ahead, there is a good chance he’s played his last game there.”
The Nets are currently placed 13th in the Eastern Conference standings, and how they fare over the course of the season heavily depends on how they recover from the latest jolt that included the firing of Steve Nash. They play the Washington Wizards next.
