Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Robin Lundberg

The Nets Can't Count on Kyrie Irving: Unchecked

Kyrie Irving said the last thing he wants to do is create more distractions. Well, too late...because whether or not he can play in home games is not a private matter. 

To me this isn’t so much about the vaccine as it is the pattern Kyrie has developed of not always being there for his team, considering his teammates were once again forced to answer questions about him at media day.

To be clear, Kyrie’s vaccination decision is a personal choice, but one that could have enormous professional implications. However, it was also a personal choice when he decided to take time away from the team last season, which had nothing to do with how anyone might feel about the jab.

The constant drama around Kyrie is in a word exhausting. To the point where I wonder whether he’s even worth it, and I believe he’s probably the most skilled basketball player who ever lived! I don’t want to speculate too much about what might happen from here, as the only thing I know for sure is the Nets can’t count on Kyrie. He’s already proven that.

That’s why trading for James Harden was so huge for them. Not only did it create a Big Three, but he also serves as insurance for Irving, who must be treated as a luxury rather than a necessity based on his lack of reliability.

The Nets may have championship expectations, however, they can never truly know what to expect from Kyrie. Luckily, Harden and Kevin Durant seem fully willing to take all the shots.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.