It was a lifelong dream of Kyrie Irving to play and win as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. In the summer of 2019, he finally achieved that dream by signing with the Nets and joining forces with his best friend, Kevin Durant.
All was good for a while in Brooklyn until it came crashing down piece by piece. Now, all that’s left is Kevin Durant (who has gone silent amid the chaos), Ben Simmons (who may be out of the league after his contract expires), and defensive stud Nic Claxton.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving is in Brooklyn as he looks ahead to his new partnership with Luka Doncic.
As the story continues to unfold, many can’t help but wonder where it all went wrong for the once-dominant superteam. According to Kyrie himself, the problem was rooted in disrespect.
Speaking to the media for the first time as a Mavericks, Irving told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that he feels wanted in Dallas compared to the ‘disrespect’ he experienced as a Net.
Kyrie Irving on joining the Mavericks: “I feel really wanted.”
Asked about departing Brooklyn, he says, “There are times that I felt really disrespected.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 7, 2023
Irving didn’t reveal any names or specific examples, but it’s no secret he had been rubbing shoulders with Nets management (Sean Marks and Joe Tsai) ever since the vaccine controversy hit its peak last season.
With Irving gone now, we can expect more details to emerge about how ugly things got between Uncle Drew and his now-former ball club.
Kyrie Irving Would Have Rejected $198 Million Offer From Brooklyn
By the time Irving made his most recent trade request, he had already been looking for the exit for months. In the summer, when he tried to pull a sign-and-trade with Brooklyn, he was forced to opt-in to his player option and play out this first half of the season with the Nets.
By all accounts, his relationship with the organization was destroyed long before his trade to the Mavericks.
“I think wherever this ended up during these contract negotiations, as the last couple of weeks went on, Kyrie Irving was out regardless. Whether the Nets had offered him a maximum contract extension, full 4 years guaranteed, he would have been out. “
It’s clear that this was personal for Kyrie, and the Nets clearly made the right decision moving on from him as soon as possible. Now, they will turn their attention to Kevin Durant and assess where he’s at in all of this turmoil.
If he decides to follow the same path as his friend and former co-star, the Nets will really be at the end of a disappointing era.
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