Getty Nets Head Coach Kenny Atkinson
The Nets continue to be barraged with questions about the mental health of their superstar. Before Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, head coach Kenny Atkinson revealed his approach for how to handle Kyrie Irving’s alleged mood swings.
“I know all these elite players, not just Kyrie, they’re used to the scrutiny and that’s just part of the business,” Atkinson said. That’s just what it is. I didn’t feel the need to talk to him about it.”
On Tuesday, Atkinson called reports of Irving’s mood swings “completely false” and defended the superstar for his play and attitude so far in Brooklyn.
Earlier in on Tuesday, ESPN’s Jackie McMullen reported that these alleged mood swings was an “unspoken concern that makes Nets officials queasy.”
“When Irving lapses into these funks, he often shuts down, unwilling to communicate with the coaching staff, front office and, sometimes, even his teammates,” McMullen reported.
Despite a 1-2 start and questions abound on defense, Irving remains a bright spot for Brooklyn. Kyrie put together a near-flawless effort on offense in Sunday’s loss 134-133 overtime loss to the Grizzlies pouring in 37 points.
Irving is averaging 37.7 points per game this season, second-most in the league behind Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.
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Teammates Defend Kyrie
Longtime friend and now teammate Kevin Durant has acknowledged Irving’s fragile mental state. KD has also said he will take a passive approach with handling Kyrie’s mood.
“I look at Kyrie as somebody who is an artist,” Durant told McMullen. “You have to leave him alone. You know what he’ll bring to the table every night because he cares so much about the game. Now, it might not be how other people want him to care about it. He has his way of doing things. I respect who he is and what he does. He has all the intangibles you want in a teammate and a great player. So, how he gets to the point to be ready for 7:30 every night, I’m supporting him 100 percent.”
According to The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer, other Nets teammates have also chimed in on Kyrie’s mood swings.
“DeAndre Jordan joins the Kyrie Irving defenders and said he hasn’t seen Irving do anything negative to the team,” Schiffer reported. “If he had/would, Jordan would speak up to him on it as his friend and teammate.”
Family Love
Irving and the Nets got their first win of the season last Friday night in Brooklyn, a 113-109 comeback against their city rival New York Knicks.
Right after the final buzzer sounded, Kyrie ran over to the sidelines to embrace his father. The two exchanged hugs and Kyrie gave him the shirt right off his back. The moment was captured on camera and aired on the TV broadcast.
Perhaps the proximity to Irving’s father can also help stave off his frequent mood swings. Irving is from West Orange, New Jersey and grew up watching the Nets as a kid. He has said on multiple occasions that the Nets are his hometown team.
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