Kyrie Irving he returned to the Brooklyn Nets after two weeks away from the team and addressed the media for the first time since he left.
Irving lost seven games in total, including five for personal reasons and two for conditioning. He lost nearly $ 817,000 in salary while in quarantine for two games, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks pointed out. The NBA also fined Irving $ 50,000 for violating league safety and health protocols after videos appeared about him attending a family birthday party.
What made the Brooklyn star leave the team?
“He had a lot of personal and family things,” Irving said without divulging further details. “So I just want to leave it that way.”
Although his response left much to be desired by journalists and the public, Irving addressed his absence in private with the Nets organization and his teammates, according to the coach. Steve Nash.
“I think Ky is working really hard mentally to put himself in a good position to act,” Nash said. “I’m proud of him for the effort he puts in.”
After Tuesday’s practice, Irving and Nash called the return “exciting.” The sixth All-Star was not listed in Wednesday’s game injury report against the Cleveland Cavaliers and will return then.
Prior to his planned return, Irving acknowledged some personal struggles during his time off the team and came forward for guidance.
“I’m honest here,” Irving said. “It’s been a lot of balancing and now I’ve asked for help and now I have so many mentors and so many people looking for things on my plate that were never mine.”
After his media availability, Irving released a expressed disappointment around Irving’s absence, he said the organization would support his star player, and they did, according to Irving.
“It’s been fantastic,” Irving said. “It has been enough support to feel that they have their backs and that is all I can ask for, not only to support me, but also for my family. I’m a kid from my hometown, so things happen a little differently when family and personal things happen, and it’s up to me to treat him as a man. I just take full responsibility for my actions with the guys and I have a conversation with each of them and we move on. ”
As Irving rejoins the Brooklyn area, he will do so with a new teammate, James Harden. So far, Harden and his former teammate Kevin Durant they have fitted well. The jury doesn’t know if Irving and Harden can coexist together on the back court, as both players are used to being the main players.
“It’s really exciting to be able to play with great players who have just been here in the league and have gone through ups and downs, peaks and valleys,” Irving said. “James is aligned with us in terms of experience. Adding that to our wardrobe will be great for us. “
Irving’s return is an opportunity to show that he can adapt his game as an off-goal scorer and dispel any doubts about his commitment to his teammates and basketball outside the organization.
“What’s pretty interesting to see when you take a break from everything is that there are so many assumptions about what’s going on, and so many people feel they knew me better,” Irving said. “They have no idea who I am, or what I’m talking about, or what I’m advocating, they don’t even try to take their time, they don’t even invite me to take their time, so it’s a two-way street. When things get overwhelming in life, you just have to take a step back and realize what’s important. I love to play. It has never been a question. I compromised when that wasn’t even a thing for me. I really didn’t care about the media. I really didn’t care about the hobby. All I cared about was just the ethics of the game and teaching me the basics. ”
Irving, who grew up rooting for the Nets in New Jersey, apologized to fans for his absence and stressed to fans his commitment to winning a title and improving the community.
“I started out as a fan,” Irving explained. “I started as a fan. I have been invested in this organization since I was little. Now that I have this role of player, there is a big difference. Fans out there, I want to apologize to them too. My commitment has always been to bring something special to Brooklyn. It wasn’t just a championship. It was unity. It was equality. They are bigger things than the game itself. It took quite a while and quite a few valleys to get home, initially. So for me, I’m just taking it every day, just grateful. But for casuals or fans, it’s part of our culture. I’m back. I’m glad to be back. We have some fantastic pieces, and we move on, and I let my actions and my game speak for themselves as I had planned to do. I just needed a break. “
Some speculated that part of the “pause” Irving needed was on concerns about social justice and politics.
“With everything that happens in the world politically, socially, it’s hard to ignore,” Irving admitted. “I want to make changes every day. There are so many oppressed communities and so many things that happen are bigger than a simple ball that goes to the edge.
During his career, Irving has returned to the community in a variety of ways, including buying a home for George Floyd’s family, pledging $ 1.5 million in WNBA salaries to supplement the income of players who go choose not to get out of the bubble for coronavirus issues or for reasons of social justice. and donating to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe tribe and more than $ 300,000 and $ 250,000 to Feeding America.
“For me, it’s just the balance, knowing that I can delegate my responsibilities off the track to the people I’m surrounded by fighting and fighting backstage and in front of the lines,” Irving said. “I am not the only one who is fighting. I am grateful to be united with others. That’s all I try to do. On the track, the same way. Play with a smile, leave something that I found very dear with this game. Whatever my legacy is after that as a person, that’s all I really care about. “
You can follow Michael Scotto on Twitter: @MikeAScotto