“They don’t want us to see him and his skill set though” - Andre Igoudala on reports of Kyrie Irving making a comeback
The Brooklyn Nets have allowed Kyrie Irving to return as a part-time player this season. However, he remains ineligible to play in the state of New York and Toronto unless he gets a COVID-19 vaccine. Golden State Warriors veteran forward Andre Iguodala, one of Irving's biggest fans, is glad that the latter is back to playing basketball.
In a postgame interview after the Warriors' 111-107 win over the Boston Celtics, Iguodala showed his admiration for Irving. 'Iggy' talked about how Irving is a top player, and he can't wait to watch him play again.
“I hope he shows his talent to the world and continues to prove me right that he’s a top player ever. They don’t want us to see him and his skill set. His mind is too free. It’s y’all fault," Iguodala said.
Andre Iguodala added that if the Brooklyn Nets get the second or third-best record in the East, Irving could continue playing on the road in the playoffs. Iguodala believes the Nets could win 'every time' Irving plays. He took another shot at the media, saying they don't want to admit how good the Nets superstar is.
"They are going to win every time he plays. Dude is that good, but y’all don’t want to say that," Iguodala said.
It's not the first time Iguodala has shown his admiration for Kyrie Irving. The Warriors veteran said in October that Irving is a top-20 player, and should have been included in the NBA's 75th Anniversary team. Iguodala followed that up last month by saying only Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Stephen Curry are above Irving in the GOAT point guard category.
Kyrie Irving and Andre Iguodala have faced each other four times in the NBA Finals. Iguodala and the Warriors won three times, while Irving hit the title-winning three-point shot in 2016 for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kyrie Irving to start playing road games for the Brooklyn Nets
As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Brooklyn Nets have allowed Kyrie Irving to return to the team as a part-time player. Irving, who is still not vaccinated, is eligible to play in road games outside the city of New York and Toronto, Canada.
The Nets have changed their preseason stance regarding Irving after the team suffered a COVID-19 outbreak this week. The Nets now have eight players in the NBA's health and safety protocols. They are LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre' Bembry, Bruce Brown, Jevon Carter, Kevin Durant, James Harden, James Johnson and Paul Millsap.
Kyrie Irving has to undergo a series of COVID-19 tests and get back into playing shape before he is cleared to play. Irving has not played since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks. He suffered an ankle injury in that game, and missed the remainder of the series.
New York City's mandate does not allow Irving to play in Nets' home games and the Knicks' away games. However, Irving can practice at home, and the Nets' front office has started the process of getting him back to peak condition. Reports indicate that Irving stayed active since becoming ineligible to play.