NBA analyst says Irving having too much influence on a team is always a problem: "I don't believe you can build anything around Kyrie Irving"
Since entering the NBA, Kyrie Irving has been one of the league's top guards. However, his actions off the court have greatly impacted his ability to pursue greatness.
After wanting to get out from under LeBron James' shadow, the former No. 1 pick left Cleveland to be the guy on his own team. The only problem is that he's been the source of countless locker room issues. There were multiple reports of him not getting along with Boston Celtics players, and now has an array of problems with the Brooklyn Nets.
Irving's biggest off-the-court impact came last year when he decided not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As a part-time player, the Nets struggled to get into a position of contention. He is in the headlines once again after being linked to antisemitism.
During a recent episode of "The Herd," FS1's Colin Cowherd gave his thoughts on the All-Star guard. He feels that it's impossible to build anything stable around him because of his antics outside of basketball:
"I contend that you can't build a sharing, authentic, team culture, an honest team culture, around Kyrie Irving. ... He's always had way too much influence here (Brooklyn). And I don't believe you can build anything around Kyrie Irving."
"Kyrie has always had way too much influence here. I do not believe you can build anything around him."
— @ColinCowherd https://t.co/Ahk0iGcOMd
Is Colin Cowherd right about Kyrie Irving being a volatile piece to teams?
Knowing what we know now, it's hard not to agree with what Cowherd said in regards to Kyrie Irving. Looking back through his career, he has proven he is not capable of being a pillar of a franchise.
The only instance where Irving showed promise was during his tenure next to LeBron James. Since James is one of the game's greatest talents, just about anyone can come in and thrive next to him. Since then, the narrative surrounding Irving's career has been that he is a great talent but a problem child.
Seeing how the Boston Celtics have risen to the top of the NBA again is another prime example. When they acquired Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics figured he could lead a young Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to the mountaintop.
That wasn't the case, and in fact the team performed better when he was out of the picture. Now, not long after his departure, they took down their former teammate en route to the NBA Finals last season.
In today's NBA, stars set the tone for a group on and off the floor. Seeing that he seems more interested in his ventures away from basketball, it's difficult to say that a proper culture can be built with Irving at the top.