Kyrie Irving addressed his absence from the Brooklyn Nets and his future in basketball
"I am back, I am happy to be back."
Kyrie Irving practiced Tuesday for the first time in over two weeks and is expected to play Wednesday when the Brooklyn Nets face the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Irving, who has missed Brooklyn’s last seven games due to “personal reasons,” apologized to fans he disappointed by not playing. He’s hoping to put the situation – which included videos that surfaced of him dancing at his sister’s birthday party – behind him and focus on playing with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and the rest of his teammates.
Kyrie adds that he spoke to his teammates both individually and as a group and is…ready to move on. https://t.co/UN7UWSCf9s
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) January 19, 2021
“I am back, I am happy to be back,” Irving told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “We got some great pieces and we move on, and I let my actions and my game speak for itself like I planned on doing. I just needed a pause.”
Irving said there’s been “a lot of family and personal stuff” he’s dealt with the past few weeks, but he didn’t elaborate on the specifics. He said he spoke with his teammates and that the plan is to collectively move on from his absence.
Kyrie Irving apologizes to fans he disappointed by not playing. “I am back, I am happy to be back, we got some great pieces and we move on and I let my actions and my game speak for itself like I planned on doing. I just needed a pause.”
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) January 19, 2021
He added that there’s a lot more going on in the world than basketball and said that when things become overwhelming in life, it’s important to “take a step back” and realize what’s important. Irving clarified that he still loves to play the game, and he’s focused on finding the balance between playing basketball and helping others.
“I just want honesty,” Irving said, “and in order to be honest, I’ve got to be honest myself. That’s the first thing. I know I can talk in circles, and I know all these words get used, but I’m just being honest here. It’s been a lot to balance. I called for help, and now I have so many mentors and so many people reaching out and taking things off my plate that were never mine in the first place. They’re better-suited for that position, so I’ll play my role on this big team of changing the world, and others will do the same.”
Kyrie Irving says basketball and life has been ‘lot to balance’:
“There’s a deeper level of emotions that I have for helping people and serving. There’s nothing normal about this life I live. Let me use this as a tool to be able to change things that I want to see in the world” pic.twitter.com/ULpKeWgmbd
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 19, 2021
In the press conference, he confirmed a report that he bought a house for George Floyd’s family. Irving said he cares more about his legacy as a person than a player, and he believes many on the outside don’t necessarily understand him.
“There’s just so many assumptions about what’s going on,” Irving said. “So many people feel like they know me best, and they have no idea who I am, nor what I’m about, nor what I stand for.”
If he plays, this will be Irving’s first game in Cleveland since October 2017.
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