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The Dallas Mavericks turned out to be beneficiaries of Kyrie Irving‘s trade request from the Brooklyn Nets. They were able to capitalize on the controversy and land him in a blockbuster deal ahead of this season’s trade deadline.
During All-Star Weekend, Irving spoke with the media, discussing his trade request and the backlash that it received from fans around the league.
“It’s a bad situation,” Irving told the press Saturday. “Why doesn’t anyone have the ability to ask for trades? That’s my question. When did it become terrible to make great business decisions for yourself and your happiness and peace of mind? Not every employer you’re going to get along with, so if you have the chance to go somewhere else and you’re doing it legally, I don’t think there’s a problem with it.”
Shaquille O’Neal Blames Mav’s Kyrie Irving for Nets’ Failure
Amongst Irving’s critics over the last week, was NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq pointed at the Mavericks guard as the reason the Nets‘ “Big 3” of Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden never came close to living up to the hype.
“Sometimes you have to look at yourself,” O’Neal said via Ben Golliver. “KD was no problem in Brooklyn, so let’s exclude him. Mr. Irving had a lot of stuff going on. James, I don’t know him. So, sometimes you have to look at yourself. I did a lot of crazy stuff. But, at the end of it all I knew my mother was watching, so I tried to keep it professional… But, sometimes you just have to look in the mirror. When you ask to go somewhere and it don’t work out, it’s not always somebody else’s fault. See, I was raised different. Like, my father didn’t play the excuses thing. When I went and we didn’t win, it’s your fault.”
Mav’s Kyrie Irving on Kevin Durant: ‘I’m Just Glad He Got Out’
O’Neal very well could have been talking about Irving’s trade request, or the way he has painted Brooklyn to be the villain in the situation.
Shortly after his exit from the Nets, Irving’s former teammate, Kevin Durant, was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Irving first discussed the news after his debut with the Mavericks back on February 8, saying he’s happy that Durant “got out of there.”
“You know, I’m just praying for his happiness, praying for his well being. We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like, there was still a level of uncertainty,” Irving said via Brad Townsend. “But, we just cared about seeing each other be places where we can thrive, and whether that be together or whether that be apart, there’s never been one moment where I’ve felt like he’s been angry at me for the decisions I’ve made, or I’ve been angry at him. We’ve just tried to understand each other a lot better and grow as human beings, grow as brothers. This business changes so quickly. He’s getting a little bit older, I’m getting a little bit older. I just love the competition now that we can be in the same conference and I welcome all of that. I’ll get to see him a little bit more, probably playing against Phoenix a lot more. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Everything else in between, I’m just glad he got out of there.”
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