Getty Kyrie Irving scans the court against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019.
The Brooklyn Nets All-star point guard Kyrie Irving has been away from the team since January 5 due to personal reasons. On Tuesday, Kyrie rejoined the team for practice for the first time in two weeks. Brooklyn’s head coach Steve Nash expects his point guard to suit up on Wednesday when the Nets take on Kyrie’s former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tuesday, Kyrie finally talked to the media and addressed his absence.
Kyrie Happy To Rejoin Teammates
“Happy to be back,” was a recurring theme during Kyrie’s media availability. During his absence, Kyrie’s teammates have been supportive of his leave from the team although the true reason behind his hiatus remains unknown. “It’s been great. It’s been enough support for me to, you know, feel like they have my back,” Kyrie told reporters over Zoom on Tuesday. “And, you know, that’s all I can ask for: supporting not only me but my family. You know, I’m a hometown kid, so you know things get a little different when, you know, family or personal stuff is going on. And that’s up to me to handle that as a man. But yeah, I just take full accountability for my absence with the guys and, you know, just had a conversation with each one of them and we move on.”
Since Kyrie’s last game with the Nets, Brooklyn’s roster looks a lot different. Many of the players that Kyrie started his Brooklyn Nets journey with have been traded as a result of bringing 2018 Most Valuable Player James Harden into town. As good as a player as Harden is, Kyrie understands the importance of what players like Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert have brought to the Nets organization. He was sure to acknowledge their efforts. “It’s very exciting,” Kyrie said to the media. “You know, just to have James here. Obviously, letting go of some of the pieces that have been here in the Nets organization for a while even before I got here, you know, is going to be hard regardless. It’s just the nature of the business. We’re all brothers still. So, we’re just moving on into the next phase of just developing as a team and just building some camaraderie and having fun.”
Kyrie Apologizes To Nets Fans
Kyrie’s temporary hiatus from basketball left many concerned, especially Brooklyn Nets fans. Before the Harden trade, it looked as if the team was on a downward spiral and on the brink of missing the playoffs. Kyrie addressed those concerned fans and apologized to them. “To the fans out there, want to apologize to them, as well,” Kyrie said. “You know, my commitment has always been to bringing something special to Brooklyn. And it wasn’t just a championship: it was unity to quality, it was equality, it was just bigger things than just the game itself.”
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Before his sudden hiatus Kyrie was averaging 27.1 point, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. The team looks a lot different with the addition of another all-star in James Harden. Brooklyn’s big three is set to finally make their debut on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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