NBA analyst asserts Kyrie Irving is a ball hog calling him a “culture killer”: “Kyrie Irving is really a losing player who's really talented”
The talent of Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has never been in question. When Irving is on the court, he has the potential to take over a game single-handedly with his scoring versatility.
The challenge is that keeping Irving on the court has become a problem. This is currently the fourth season in which Irving has been a member of the Brooklyn Nets. Irving has played more than 29 games in a season only once during that tenure (54 of 72 in 2020-21).
Brooklyn suspended Irving for a minimum of five games after he posted a link on social media that promoted an antisemitic documentary. Questions now remain about whether or not this is the "last straw" for the Nets organization.
On "The Colin Cowherd Podcast," analyst Colin Cowherd didn't hold back his thoughts about Kyrie Irving:
"He's the only star I can ever remember in my life that I would trade for rotational pieces. I think he's a coach killer, a culture killer
"One of the things that's always been really off-putting to me about Kyrie, he's not a good distributor. Steph Curry is. Chris Paul is. Kyrie is that guy we've all played with at the YMCA. You give it to him on the wing, and you never get the ball back. Kyrie, to me, is not a winning player. He's just a really gifted player."
Eventually, Cowherd left his most emphatic assessment of Kyrie:
"There is this sort of mythology with Kyrie is that boy Kyrie's a winning player. He's really a losing player who's really talented."
Kyrie Irving's future with Brooklyn Nets in doubt
Kyrie Irving's future with the Brooklyn Nets remains a popular question around the NBA. There's no denying that Irving is one of the most talented players in the league at his position. But Irving's tenure with the Nets has been nothing but a roller coaster of dramatic events.
He played a total of 29 games last season after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Irving also found himself connected to trade rumors this offseason before opting into a player option for the season.
Suspended guard Kyrie Irving has met with the Brooklyn Nets, NBA and NBPA “on several occasions” in recent days and the union “(looks) forward very soon to a resolution of all matters satisfactory to all parties,” @TheNBPA tells players in an email obtained by ESPN.
In eight games this season, Irving has produced at a high level, averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
Brooklyn (5-7) opened the season by winning just one of their first six games. It eventually resulted in a parting of ways with coach Steve Nash.
That was followed by Irving's suspension, which has seen him out of the lineup since Nov. 4. Interestingly enough, Brooklyn has started to play some of its best basketball of the season since Irving's absence. The team has won three of its last four games and will face the LA Clippers on Saturday.