30-year-old Kyrie Irving is, undoubtedly, one of the best players in basketball. An exceptional scorer, gifted ball-handler, and proven winner, he has a resume that stacks up against the best the game has to offer.
So when Uncle Drew was left off the NBA’s Top 75 players list, it raised more than a few eyebrows.
Finally, weeks after the list was fully published, Irving commented on the snub.
“I think I’ll leave it to the conspiracy theorists. I think I was on the list — but I guess I’m not. So hey, maybe I’ll just wait 10 years, 20 years from now. Hopefully with a few championships under my belt.”
Was Kyrie frustrated he didn't make NBA 75 team?
"I think I'll leave it to the conspiracy theorists. I think I was on the list — but I guess I'm not. So hey, maybe I'll just wait 10 years, 20 years from now. Hopefully with a few championships under my belt."
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) April 7, 2022
On paper, Kyrie Irving certainly deserves recognition as a Top 75 player ever. He’s a 7x All-Star, 3x All-NBA player, and 1x NBA Champion. Interestingly enough, there is a theory that he was supposed to be on the list before he was later removed (for whatever reason).
Apparently, he actually was at some point. According to the investigation of one Twitter user, who discovered some deleted articles, Irving was originally included in the Top 75 before being replaced.
While there could be other explanations, fans have suggested that the NBA elected to replace Irving in light of his current stance on COVID-19 protocols. With the league being in full support of mandates and vaccination enforcement, Kyrie is obviously spreading an ideology they do not approve of.
This season, Irving has been engulfed in a controversy surrounding COVID-19. After refusing the vaccine back in the fall, he disqualified himself from play for months before finally being allowed to take the court again.
In the meantime, his reputation took a huge hit among critics and his team plummeted down the standings. Today, the Nets are just 8th with a 41-38 record overall.
While there is no changing the NBA 75 team, these next few weeks will be an opportunity for Irving to remind the world who he is. Putting all the noise aside, he’s one of the best in the world and clearly a guy who will be remembered in basketball history.
