Kyrie Irving wants everyone to know he is triggered again as Nets-Celtics series moves to Boston
Having an eye on things outside basketball isn't bad, but Kyrie Irving is building an excuse/distraction again
There’s nothing wrong with athletes who don’t want to “stick to sports”, but some take it to an odd place. Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is a supremely talented basketball player, albeit one that seems in line to play for about six teams as he gets antsy and wears out welcomes.
Irving will talk to the media when he feels like it, and about whatever he feels like. After his first fine this season for not talking to the media, $25,000, here’s what he said.
"I do not talk to pawns. My attention is worth more."
More recently, Irving tried to sound worldly and genuinely concerned about recent events. Much to the chagrin of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, for whatever that’s worth.
I'm not going to lie to you guys, a lot of stuff is going on in this world, and basketball is just not the most important thing to me right now," Irving said. "There's a lot of things going on overseas. All our people are still in bondage across the world, and there's a lot of dehumanization going on.
So I apologize if I'm not going to be focused on y'all's questions. It's just too much going on in the world for me to just be talking about basketball. I focus on this most of the time, 24/7, but it's just too much going on in this world not to address. It's just sad to see this s--- going on. It's not just in Palestine, not just in Israel. It's all over the world, and I feel it. I'm very compassionate to it -- to all races, all cultures and to see it, to see a lot of people being discriminated against, based on their religion, color of their skin, what they believe in. It's just sad."
It’s literally part of Irving’s job to talk to the media. I’m pretty sure it’s right there in a standard player contract. Unless he arranges another forum, it’s going to be basketball media he’s talking to and basketball-centered questions he’s going to be asked-before games, after games, etc. Being concerned about, and active in where warranted, the outside world is not wrong. But the way Irving comes off is the issue, as it always is with him.
The Nets are up 2-0 in their first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, with the series going to Boston for Games 3 and 4. When asked about returning to Boston, where he spent two seasons as a Celtic, Irving was automatically triggered.
Hopefully, we can just keep it strictly basketball, there's no belligerence or any racism going on," Irving told reporters after the Nets' Game 2 win. "Subtle racism and people yelling shit from the crowd. But even if it is, that's part of the nature of the game, and we're just gonna focus on what we can control."
Irving said he and his peers have been subject to racial abuse at TD Garden in Boston. A fan was banned from the venue for that kind of conduct toward DeMarcus Cousins in 2019. Racism is uncalled for anywhere toward anyone, and players certainly should not have to deal with it.
Fans will be belligerent when the mood strikes, ideally within the bounds of relative decency. Anything outside those boundaries, to racism, etc., is over the line and should be dealt with appropriately.
When it comes down to it, Irving may not even hear any taunts (racist-again, over the line and wrong, or otherwise) if he’s focused on performing his best and helping the Nets take care of business.
Manufacturing distractions or excuses where they don’t have to exist is as much a part of Irving’s game as dribbling the ball. So his use of a word he knew would create a reaction is no shock, as he tries to show how genuine and affected he is. But I’m still not buying it, and Irving continues to be a perfect match with the star he originally teamed up with in Brooklyn.