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The Drew League is one of the most anticipated summer basketball tournaments that happens during the NBA offseason. Some notable alumni include James Harden, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and several other NBA stars. Initially, there had been a buzz that Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving would be added to the list of historic names, as he was slated to play in the tournament on Saturday, July 16, according to ESPN insider Dave McMenamin.
“Kyrie Irving is expected to play in the Drew League in Los Angeles today at 11 a.m., Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley told ESPN. LeBron James is expected to play at 1:45, per Smiley. Yahoo earlier reported James’ plans to return to the Drew for the first time since 2011,” McMenamin tweeted on July 16.
With trade rumors of Kyrie potentially headed to the Los Angeles Lakers for a reunion with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James, NBA fans were buzzing at the prospect of them being in the same gym, to play in the same tournament. But unfortunately, Irving never showed, which landed him in hot water with fans on Twitter.
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Drew League Commissioner Sounds off on Kyrie’s Absence
Irving’s no-show certainly left a lot of fans disappointed. It would have been the perfect setting for the All-Star guard as Kyrie has one of the nastiest handles in the NBA. Though Drew League commissioner, Dino Smiley, couldn’t supply a reason for Irving’s absence, he maintains that Irving was expected to appear in the tournament on July 16.
“I don’t know. They were pretty sure he was coming. But you know how Kyrie is. I guess he changed his mind in the middle of it,” Smiley said per the NBA’s Mark G. Medina.
However, even though he was a no-show, Smiley isn’t giving up on a Kyrie appearance just yet, as he knows Irving still has an opportunity to compete in the tournament later this Summer.
“We still have a couple of games left today and then six tomorrow. So, (we’ll see). But that sounded like it was going to be a sure bet, but I don’t know what happened,” Smiley said per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Insider: Kyrie Was ‘Never’ Scheduled To Play in Drew League
Despite the rumors of Irving being slated to play in the Drew League, Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports reported that the chatter of his appearance in the famed tournament was “totally false”.
“Kyrie Irving was never supposed to play in the Drew League today I’m told. “Totally false,” a source shared,” Robinson tweeted on July 16.
“Irving has respect for the basketball league & for grassroots basketball with his dad and godfather [Rod Strickland] both participating in NYC park functions for decades.”
Kyrie has ruled the headlines this summer, as he and the Nets could reportedly be heading towards a break-up. But as the NBA season begins to transition out of the free agency period and towards training camp, all signs are pointing to him and his co-star Kevin Durant being on the roster next season.
With a revamped team and key players such as Ben Simmons, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry returning healthy and ready to play, the sky could be the limit for this Nets squad.
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