"James probably couldn't see what we were getting into" - Kyrie Irving on what may have caused James Harden to move, including his own "in-and-out" status
Kyrie Irving and James Harden could have made a devastating backcourt for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. However, that was not to be.
Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on trade deadline day (February 10), leaving Irving and the rest of the NBA universe to wonder what might have been.
Harden's exit stemmed from the fact that he was apparently upset with Irving's unvaccinated COVID-19 status, which forced the point guard to sit out home games. For his part, Irving said it wasn't his job to convince Harden to stay with the Nets.
Speaking at the post-game media session after the Brooklyn Nets lost 112-113 to the Washington Wizards on Thursday night, Kyrie Irving said of James Harden:
"It's not really my place in terms of trying to convince somebody of something that they probably can't see right now. James probably couldn't see what we were getting into. Obviously, with my status being in-and-out, I saw a few things that maybe could have impacted things. But who knows?... I can't really speak for James."
Kyrie Irving said it wasn't his place to convince James Harden to stay in Brooklyn:
"James probably couldn't see what we were getting into. Obviously with my status being in and out, I saw a few things that maybe could have impacted things." https://t.co/knjMYIMg96
"We can say our peace to James and wish him well" - Kyrie Irving hoping that James Harden will have happy future at Philadelphia 76ers
After saying that it wasn't his job to convince James Harden to stick with the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving did wish the shooting guard the best for his future. He remarked:
"Now that it's official, I think we can say our peace to James [Harden] and wish him well. Ultimately for me, I just want everybody to be happy and do things that they love to do and be a part of things they can see themselves being successful at - it probably wasn't here with us. He made a choice. We respect him for it. No love lost."
"I think we can say our peace to James [Harden] and wish him well. Ultimately for me, I just want everybody to be happy and do things that they love to do and be a part of things they can see themselves being successful at - it probably wasn't here with us" - Kyrie Irving https://t.co/6rb4lfv2ll
Since being traded by the Houston Rockets in January 2021, Harden has played 80 games overall for the Brooklyn Nets. He averaged 23.4 ppg, 10.5 apg and 8.2 rpg while shooting 34.8% from downtown during his time in Brooklyn. This season, the 32-year-old played 44 games for the Nets, averaging 22.5 ppg, 10.2 apg and 8.0 RPG.
The Philadelphia 76ers will be Harden's fourth team in the NBA. He previously spent three seasons with Oklahoma City, nine seasons with the Houston Rockets and two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets.