In Brooklyn, the Nets are doing everything they can to focus and prepare for the season to come.
Unfortunately, the choices made by Kyrie Irving (who has disqualified himself from playing this year) have made the franchise the center of a huge media circus.
In the most recent turn of events, Irving came out publicly to speak to fans for the first time since his hold-out began, telling them the motivations behind his choice and thwarting the rumors about his retirement.
Don’t belive that I’m retiring. Don’t believe that I’m gonna give up this game for a vaccine mandate or saying unvaccinated. All these people saying all these things about what’s going on with me and it’s not true. Pay attention to what’s going on in the real world, people losing their jobs to these mandates. People are having to make choices with their own lives which I respect, I don’t want to sit here and play on people’s emotions either, just use logic.
The video caught a lot of attention from folks online, and it was a major talking point all day on Thursday.
For Nets coach Steve Nash, however, wants to let the world know that he’s done talking about it.
Here’s how he responded when asked about Irving’s latest statement:
“I didnt really listen to it. And I think I’ve pretty much said everything I have to say about it. If something changes, we can talk about it; but I really want to focus on moving forward and our group and solutions to the challenge ahead of us.”
Steve Nash said he didn't listen to Kyrie Irving's IG Live and is done talking about him. #Nets #NBA
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) October 14, 2021
Still, he went on to elaborate that his team, even without Kai, is capable of winning the title:
“I think we still have a very high potential.” Nash on the Nets.”When you lose an exceptional talent like that, your roster is built under the certain parameters of having 3 guys, so everybody has to slide up a spot.”
Irving is a major component of their team, and it remains to be seen how well they’ll do without him.
If you add in how distracting and exhausting the whole situation must be for the entire team, and it only makes their path to a Championship seem harder.
Regardless, coach Nash is tired of speaking on it — and so are a lot of others who are entangled in this mess.
