Kyrie Irving expressed that he felt disrespected at times while with the Nets during his first press conference as part of the Mavericks
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Kyrie Irving’s move to the Dallas Mavericks is one of the biggest ones to transpire in the NBA so far, prior to the February 9 trade deadline. The 30-year-old was performing at an elite level with the Brooklyn Nets and despite Kevin Durant’s absence, he was leading the way from the front for the Eastern Conference side. However, it doesn’t take a long time for things to change in the NBA and the Kyrie Irving trade was just another example of that.
The eight-time All-Star was reported to be in the middle of contract extension talks with the franchise. There were reports that the front office of the Brooklyn Nets were reluctant to offer Kyrie a four-year max extension. This was what led to him seeking a move in the summer, but he stayed back to prove that he was a player that could be relied on. However, with almost half the season complete, Irving decided to request a trade and this led to the Dallas Mavericks bringing him to their roster.
In his very first press conference with the team, Irving dropped some truth bombs. He went off and said that he at times felt disrespected when he was with the Brooklyn Nets. Speaking about how he felt on being involved in trade talks since the offseason, Irving said:
“I just know I want to be places where I’m celebrated and not just tolerated or kind of dealt with in a kind of way that doesn’t make me feel respected. There were times throughout this process in Brooklyn where I felt disrespected. My talent, I work extremely hard at what I do, no one talks about my work ethic, everyone talks about what I do off the court,”
Kyrie Irving put in some great work in his first training session as part of the Dallas Mavericks. With him and Luka Doncic in the backcourt, it will be interesting to see how the Mavs perform in the West. Both are elite point guards and can score at a high level. However, it will be interesting to see how their dynamic plays out with just over 30 games left before the playoffs.
Kyrie Irving is one of the most elite ball handlers in the NBA. There are many that believe him teaming up with Luka Doncic would make things tough for Dallas as the Slovenian is also an extremely ball-dominant guard. However, the narrative that Irving needs the ball to cook is wrong. Having played alongside LeBron James as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie prospered and made a name for himself in the league. There is no evidence that the same could happen alongside Luka Doncic, but the young prodigy has a playing style similar to the King.
Irving can be a great spot-up shooter and drain threes or mid-range jumpers with ease. If teams double Luka, Kyrie Irving could be used as a catalyst for the Mavericks. In the clutch, the eight-time All-Star has a track record of delivering some big shots and that will be another key for the Mavs as the season progresses. Aside from Luka, there wasn’t any offense coming from the other players. However, with Kyrie Irving at the realm, the Mavs can hope for a better and smooth-flowing offense that will hopefully lead to them becoming a force in the West.
