"If Kyrie Irving had shown up to work... KD would still be in Brooklyn, they might have won a championship" - Stephen A. Smith claims Irving "ruined" the Brooklyn Nets
Stephen A. Smith and Kyrie Irving have been dealing blows to each other for a while now. This time, it was Smith's turn to fire shots and did so by stating that Irving ruined the Nets franchise with his actions. The 54-year-old has been very critical of the seven-time All-Star ever since he decided not to take the vaccine.
He also shared his opinion that Kyrie Irving did not deserve the max contract that he was eligible for this offseason. The 30-year-old is now looking to make his way out of the franchise. Speaking about the point guard on NBA Today, he said:
"I feel that Kyrie Irving ruined the franchise, I feel that all of this is his doing. If Kyrie had shown up to work, if he had been a more consistent presence, then he'd still be in Brooklyn.
"KD would still want to be in Brooklyn, they probably might have won a championship or at least would have been knocking on the door because we all know that Irving is a spectacular talent."
Kyrie Irving has been with the Nets for three years now. However, he has only played 103 of the 236 total games. One of the biggest reasons the Nets refused to give him the max contract was the lack of availability. However, many believe that him opting in would be the start of something great for Irving as a member of the Nets.
"It's certainly a possibility... They want to continue to play together but the sense is they don't want to do it together in Brooklyn anymore."
- @wojespn on KD and Kyrie π
(h/t @_Talkin_NBA ) https://t.co/2zSZ854i8f
Other than his availability issues, there is no doubt that Kyrie Irving is one of the best point guards in the league. He was adamant about staying with the Nets, but now rumors of him leaving the organization have further increased since the start of free agency.
Woj: "I have a hard time imagining a scenario where Kyrie Irving is back and Kevin Durant isn't."
#NBATwitter #NetsWorld https://t.co/8Lt4vNtOgt
Stephen A. Smith highlights the problems Kyrie Irving brought to the Nets
KyrieIrving and Kevin Durant together were expected to be the duo that would help the Nets win a championship. However, things have now gotten out of hand as they are on the verge of losing both their stars. Stephen A. Smith believes that a huge part of the blame needs to be on Kyrie Irving.
"Everybody knows, late practices, showing up when you want, leaving when you want, going into the locker room after the coach conducted the practice.
"Pulling players out to bring them on the court and conduct your own practices assuming that you know what, you were going to play a significant role in who was going to be on the front office, who was going to be on the roster etc etc."
Kyrie Irving isolation mastery. π₯Ά https://t.co/lhiUyXR8bV
Kyrie was the first of the three players in the original Big 3 to be recruited by the Brooklyn Nets. He was the one responsible for bringing in Kevin Durant and James Harden. The trio were expected to do big things in Brooklyn. But just a season and a half after they were formed, James Harden requested a trade.
Kyrie is focused on βforcingβ his way to the Lakers, per @WindhorstESPN
League executives have floated the possibility that the Lakers have a potential package to trade for both KD and Kyrie if they plan on playing together https://t.co/2SzqJ6FIKs
Now even Kyrie and Durant seem to be going their separate ways. This now leaves the Nets in a state of fixation as they do not have any of their stars that were supposed to help them win a championship. It is still not clear which team Kyrie will decide to join. However, he will certainly have a lot to prove there as his name has taken a big hit after his stint with the Nets.