Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: 'I was never on bad terms' with Nets
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) passes the ball during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in Dallas, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Credit: AP/Michael Ainsworth
DALLAS — Kyrie Irving and the Nets were a partnership that began with promise and ended with bitter separation as he was traded to Dallas last February.
On Friday, he faces the Nets for the first time since the trade, at American Airlines Center. Irving was calm looking back at what happened but also blamed the media for inflaming the tensions between him and the front office.
“I was never on bad terms with the organization. I just think there was a lot of chaos and noise as usual from the media,” Irving told reporters Thursday after practice. “I'm not going to blame you guys or anything. But again, nobody really knew what was going on behind the scenes. And I'm sure that people have their sources they go to what was going on and what really happened.
“But for me, it was the best decision of my career. Just to be able to ask for a trade. I knew I needed peace of mind. It was rough all the way around.”
Irving’s time with the Nets was sensational on the court but filled with drama the past two years. First came his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine during the 2021-22 season and he played just 29 games, six of which were at home due to New York City’s indoor vaccine mandate at the time.
Last season, Irving asked for a trade days before the season opener. He had hoped for an extension from the Nets that offseason before opting into the final year of his contract.
Five games into the season, things reached a fever pitch after he posted a link on Twitter to a movie that had anti-Semitic tropes. The Nets suspended him for eight games and Irving later apologized.
Irving, who averaged 27.1 games in four seasons with the Nets, didn’t address the video specifically Thursday but stood by previous claims he made about how his treatment by the Nets' front office.
“I said there was some disrespectful things going on behind the scenes. That happens in every organization as an employee, so it's not out of the ordinary to come out and communicate that,” Irving said. “But again, when it's me, it's a firestarter. Everyone loves to use my name to build up whatever credibility they need.”
Irving signed a three-year contract with the Mavericks worth up to $126 million this summer, which includes a player option for the final season. He returns to Brooklyn on Feb. 6 in a game that will be televised on TNT.
It’s likely that game will provoke strong reactions for and against Irving. But he wasn’t bothered because he’s said he’s felt happy in Dallas and hopes to focus solely on basketball.
“Being in New York, being in the media capital in the world, it's the most political place in the world other than like LA or overseas places,” Irving said. “I think that people carried or hold on to the weight of my words, and I'm not trying to put anybody in that predicament here or in Brooklyn.”
As for his former teammates — the few still remaining on the Nets — he still has love for them. After the trade last season, Cam Thomas respected what Irving chose to do.
“At the end of the day, he’s made the best decision for himself,” Thomas said at the time. “And like I said, he’s still my brother.”
Irving returned the favor Thursday, praising Thomas and Nic Claxton for their growth as players and constantly checking on him. Despite how he left, he felt proud of their development.
“I was dealing with, you know, a lot of things,” Irving said. “For them to be so young and want to be there for me emotionally, it meant a lot and that's why we have such a great bond still to this day. Doesn’t matter what team we're on. We're always going to support each other.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
