Brooklyn Nets: Stephon Marbury says Durant/Irving Duo Will be “Pretty Magical” Together

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

All basketball fans remember Stephon Marbury. An extremely talented player out of Georgia Tech, “Starbury” had what many would consider a successful career in the NBA, playing for 5 different franchises (Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, Suns, Knicks, Celtics) over the course of 13 seasons and averaging respectable career stats of 19.3 points per game and 7.6 assists per game. Marbury was the Nets starting point guard for several years and received an all-star appearance with the franchise in 2001, but injuries marred his tenure with the Nets and he was traded to Phoenix after that 2001 season for Jason Kidd, who would eventually be the missing piece in leading the Nets to the NBA finals.

In 2010, Marbury would leave the NBA to pursue a basketball career in China, where he would resurrect his career and go on to lead his team, the Beijing Ducks, to 3 CBA championships. Since the corona-virus pandemic began, Marbury has been a major contributor in lobbying for more masks to be made and shipped to New York City. On April 27th, Marbury released a documentary on his life and basketball career called “A Kid From Coney Island.”

Marbury Opens Up on Scoop B Radio in Recent Interview

The former Net sat down with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Heavy.com on Scoop B Radio for an interview to discuss several topics.

One of the topics discussed was Marbury’s thoughts on how Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will fit together once the two suit up for Brooklyn. “I think those two on the court is going to be pretty magical,” Marbury said. “I think it going to put things in perspective as far as how good they really are and what their capabilities are because Kyrie Irving is a different monster. And Kevin Durant is a different monster. And they two together because they have a good energy with each other and they’re on the same page they’re going to flow perfectly. So I think it’s gonna be good.” Coming from a former player, this is refreshing for Nets fans to hear. We have yet to see KD and Kyrie on the floor together, but if you agree with Marbury’s sentiment, it’s realistic to see this duo become one of the best in the league.

Another topic that Scoop B touched upon was Marbury’s short tenure in Minnesota playing with recently inducted Hall-of-Famer Kevin Garnett, and why Marbury doesn’t regret his decision to request a trade after only a few years into his career. “I couldn’t give seven years of my life living in Minnesota. I grew up in New York where it was a melting pot; Black, White, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Italian – all different types of races. And when I moved to Minnesota it was predominately white. After leaving Georgia Tech where I lived in Atlanta. So you go from a melting pot to a place where there is a lot of black people to where you go and it’s 6 percent black people. It was a culture shock for me. ” Marbury explained. He went on to mention that the cold, winter Minnesota weather also played a factor in his decision to leave.

Finally, Marbury expressed his excitement for the Michael Jordan documentary, saying that “Jordan is not from this Earth” and “shouldn’t even be ranked” implying that there is no comparison to who Marbury believes is the great player of all time. Marbury would go on to say that the upcoming Michael Jordan documentary will deter the opinions of young fans who believe Lebron is a better player. Marbury recalled being “in awe” of Michael Jordan when the two met on the hardwood during Marbury’s rookie season.

Marbury would also go on to talk about the corona-virus in length and the differences in how China and the US have handled the outbreak, his experience participating in the 2001 all-star game, and how significant Yao Ming’s impact on the NBA was. He even shares his opinion on Spike Lee’s movie He Got Game, claiming that the talented director stole the story loosely based on Marbury’s life. You can listen to the entire interview here.

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Brooklyn Nets: Spencer Dinwiddie Trolls Bulls & Knicks in Recent Tweets

Brooklyn Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie

The “Tech guy with a jumper” is at it again. Spencer Dinwiddie, who has been the most active Brooklyn Net on Twitter by far since the NBA suspended its season indefinitely almost a month ago, has decided to apply for the open Chicago Bulls general manager position, as you can see in his tweet below:

Dinwiddie, no stranger to sarcasm, took his joke a few steps further by breaking down what he thinks the Bulls should do in the short term in order to fix their broken franchise.  He starts off his plan by saying Chicago should trade Tomáš Satoranský for himself and appoint Dinwiddie the GM, with Chicago also giving Brooklyn an additional pick to make it fair because “Dinwiddie gets buckets.”

His next step includes Klutch Sports signing Dinwiddie to their agency, if and only if, Anthony Davis joins the Bulls. Pretty foolproof plan so far right? Dinwiddie then breaks down what his roster would look like with the addition of himself and AD, as you can see below:

Dinwiddie even goes as far as to discuss what the Bull’s bench rotation would look like under his supervision as well:

Dinwiddie would go on to tweet about his hypothetical plan as the future player/GM of the Chicago Bulls 9 more times, finishing his thread by tweeting “THEY CALL ME JACKIE MOON”, the infamous player/owner/coach played by Will Ferrell in the fictional movie Semi-Pro. It seems he put a lot of thought into this sincere troll of the Chicago Bulls.

Dinwiddie wasn’t finished lending his roster decision-making expertise on Twitter, tweeting directly at the Knicks:

After thinking it over, Dinwiddie decided that his attempt to hypothetically fix the Knicks roster would be “too dicey.”

Nobody knows if Dinwiddie will be on the Brooklyn Nets next season, but wherever he ends up,  let us hope he never stops tweeting.

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3 Players Who Would Complete Brooklyn Nets Superstar Trio

New York Knicks, Blake Griffin

Bleacher Report recently came out with an article discussing several trades the Brooklyn Nets could potentially make this offseason to acquire a third star. While Spencer Dinwiddie has insisted that Brooklyn already has a 3rd star in Caris LeVert, I decided to come up with our own list of 3 all-star caliber players that would be elite 3rd options behind Kyrie and Durant.

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The 3 Options:

  • Option # 1: The first person I think would be an excellent fit in Brooklyn would be Blake Griffin. Griffin can stretch the floor as a power forward as he has significantly improved his three-point shooting in the last several years. Griffin’s 2018 – 2019 season was incredible for the Pistons, averaging 24.5 points and 7.5 boards per game. Unfortunately, he has been riddled with injuries this season, and his statistics have dropped significantly, but I believe when healthy, Griffin can still play at an elite level. He has also played with Deandre Jordan before, and the duo showed they could mesh well with each other.
    • Current deal: Griffin has two years left on a five year $171 million dollar contract
  • Option #2: I don’t agree with Bleacher Report’s take that Buddy Hield could be a better or equal fit as LeVert. I also don’t think CJ McCollum would be a great fit here either since he, like LeVert, is a ball-dominant guard. Even if you’re able to keep LeVert, I don’t believe Hield or McCollum makes sense in this offense. Insert Bradley Beal. Beal would be a perfect 3rd complement to Durant and Irving since he can play off the ball better than most guards in the league. The Nets would be able to add a legitimate shooter to an already lethal offensive lineup. Beal can also defend the majority of 2 guards in the league. He would be able to take command of the offense if Irving and Durant are not on the floor. Beal is also just 26 years old.
    • Current Deal: Beal has one year remaining on his five years $127 million dollar contract
  • Option #3: This is my “risky” option, since LaVine hasn’t shown consistent success like the two players above, but he has been one of the lone bright spots for the Chicago Bulls in the last two years. LaVine, who has been banged up for the majority of the year, has averaged 25.5 points per game on 45% shooting in 60 games. He has been an elite defender at 6’6 and one of the most explosive young guards in the game. Shooting only 38% from 3 point range, LaVine would have to improve that number in order to play off the ball more efficiently, but at just 25 years old, he has a ton of room to improve his game.
    • Current Deal: LaVine has two years remaining on his four years $80M dollar contract

I believe these three players would significantly increase the Nets’ chances of competing for a championship. We’ll see if Sean Marks is able to pull the trigger on any of these options come the off-season.

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Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant to Participate in players-only 2K tournament

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant is back in action!  Well…not exactly. Durant will make his first appearance with the Brooklyn Nets on the virtual hardwood during a players-only 2K tournament hosted by the NBA. The tournament will consist of 16 players and take place over a 10 day period. The event will be available for fans to watch on ESPN and the date is to be determined. There are several other notable players that will be participating in the tournament, such as Donovan Mitchell, Andre Drummond, and DeMarcus Cousins.

Mitchell and Durant are two players who have tested positive for coronavirus, with Mitchell being cleared of the virus last week and Durant sending out a positive message to his fans shortly after he was diagnosed.

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Recently it was reported that the Chinese Basketball Association would further delay their return, which was originally scheduled for April 15th, to May at the earliest. Unfortunately, this is bad news for the NBA, who is watching these decisions closely in anticipation of salvaging their own season.

It is important for the NBA to stay active and connected with their fans during these troubling times, and this tournament is an excellent way to do so. Not only will we be able to hear from some of the athletes in quarantine, but we will also be able to watch them “play basketball” and candidly interact with each other, even if it is through a video game.

More leagues should come up with unique virtual events like this to engage with fans and help keep their brands active. Luckily for the NFL, they have their Draft coming up in April, so they are set content-wise for the time being. It will be intriguing to see how the MLB, a league that is often viewed not as progressive as the other leagues, stays engaged with their fans while their season is currently suspended.

My Prediction: Kevin Durant will win this tournament. Durant prides himself on being the best on the court, regardless if that court is real or animated. Being an elite scorer in real life will ABSOLUTELY translate to KD being a monster in 2k. I have the utmost faith in a guy who has probably had more practice on the sticks than anybody else in the last year.

Stay tuned for the date of the tournament to be announced. Follow @firesidenets on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for your latest Brooklyn Nets news and listen to the Fireside Nets w/ Spen & Nick podcast!

 

Kevin Durant Is Identified as 1 of 4 Brooklyn Nets with Coronavirus

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

Earlier today, it was reported that four anonymous Brooklyn Nets players were diagnosed with the coronavirus. The team was unwilling to publicly announce which players on the roster had the virus without their consent.

It was then later revealed, one of the Nets with the virus was Kevin Durant. Shams Charania broke the story on Twitter earlier today: “Kevin Durant tested positive for coronavirus, Durant tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Durant says he is feeling fine: “Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We’re going to get through this.” (Tweet Here)

It seems as though Durant is in good spirits, as it is reported that he has not shown symptoms of the virus yet. The three other players remain unnamed.

Spencer Dinwiddie caused an uproar on Twitter earlier by tweeting, “Lmao this Corona Virus stuff putting me between a rock and a hard place. If I stopped tweeting y’all would all assume I have it.” (Tweet Here) Dinwiddie is one of the more active NBA voices on Twitter and had tweeted several times today before the news came out. Dinwiddie often enjoys tweeting about the financial market, hypothetical NBA matchups, breaking down his own game, and of course, about Marvel movies. Dinwiddie is a HUGE Marvel fan.

@FiresideNets will keep you posted if any of the other three players with the coronavirus are identified. We wish KD, the three anonymous players, and the thousands of people across the world dealing with this virus a quick and full recovery.

Nets Snag Best Win of Season vs Los Angeles Lakers

Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets

Oh man, what a way to start a road trip. The Lakers, coming off weekend wins against the Bucks and the Clippers, fell to the Brooklyn Nets yesterday, 104 – 102, in one of the more exciting games this season. Brooklyn played inspired basketball against one of the hottest teams in the NBA, featuring one of the hottest players right now in Lebron James, and came out victorious.

What went right for Brooklyn last night?

At the start of the game, it seemed as though only 2 Nets players had shown up to play. Caris Levert, who has recently demonstrated an intensity and efficiency to his game that we have not seen from him before this year, continued his stellar play.  But it was backup point guard/G League call up Chris Chiozza, who helped steady the Nets in that 1st quarter, giving them great minutes with Dinwiddie on the bench. The Florida alum was sensational, displaying a barrage of smooth, crisp passes to open teammates. Chiozza finished with 11 points and five assists in 17 minutes. Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris got it going in the 2nd quarter, cutting a Lakers 11 point lead to 2 point lead right before the half.

Then in the 3rd quarter, everything started clicking for the Nets. The defense picked up for Brooklyn, as they were able almost to shut down everybody on the Lakers except Lebron, and they outscored LA 31 – 22 in the 3rd. Everyone from Caris Levert to Timothe Luwawu – Cabarrot made plays both on offense and defense. The Nets went into the 4th with a surprising 87-80 lead, something they haven’t done a great job at protecting this year.

The 4th quarter was electrifying. Anthony Davis came alive and, along with Lebron, carried the Lakers back to tie the game at 102 with a little under 50 seconds left. Dinwiddie, who had been called for offensive fouls on two of the last several possessions, isolated Avery Bradley and hit a tough go-ahead jumper on the left elbow to put Brooklyn up 2. After a Lebron missed a layup and 2 missed free throws by Deandre Jordan, the Lakers got the ball back down 2 with 5 seconds left with a chance to tie or win. Brooklyn fans gasped as Lebron drove down the lane and kicked it to a wide-open Anthony Davis in the corner for a 3 to win the game, but fortunately, Davis clunked the shot and sealed the upset for Brooklyn.

Key performances for the Nets:

Caris Levert: 22 points & 7 boards    Spencer Dinwiddie: 23 points & 7 assists

Joe Harris: 12 points                            Timothe Luwawu – Cabarrot: 13 points

This was a significant win for Brooklyn not only for the guys on the court but for Kevin Durant to witness off the court, who traveled with the team on this four-game California road trip. KD and Kyrie need to see this team win without them, especially against a juggernaut like the Lakers. Vaughn has been impressive in his short tenure as coach with rotations, and the Nets have put forth a fantastic team effort for him in these last few games.

The Nets play the Warriors on Thursday at 10:30 pm EST (who will most likely honor KD in some type of way) followed by the Clippers on Friday night and the Kings on Sunday.

Top Candidates to Replace Atkinson as Brooklyn Nets Next Head Coach

New York Knicks, Jason Kidd

With one of the more shocking decisions in recent memory, the Brooklyn Nets decided to “mutually” part ways with Head Coach Kenny Atkinson earlier today. Atkinson has been Brooklyn’s coach for the last four years and was a significant contributor to the change in culture during his tenure, resulting in a playoff appearance last year for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

The speculation among Nets Twitter surrounding general manager Sean Mark decided that superstar players Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were not on board with Atkinson as the Head Coach for next season. While zero reports would validate that assumption, many fans could point to the early on-court disconnect between Atkinson and Kyrie during the season and the underwhelming performance of the team as a whole. Ironically, this decision comes on the heels of one of the best performances from Coach Atkinson and the Nets all season, as they manhandled the Spurs last night, 139 – 120. Jacque Vaughn will finish out the season as the team’s interim head coach.

Here is a list of plausible candidates to replace Atkinson:

Royal Ivey, Current Position: New York Knicks Assistant Coach

How do you make your newly acquired superstar happy? By hiring his best friends. With the dismissal of Atkinson, the Nets have shown that they are willing to cater more towards their superstars than trust in the culture and decision making that got them here. That is why I can easily see Sean Marks going after one of Kevin Durant’s closest friends in Royal Ivey. Ivey briefly played with KD in OKC and was an assistant coach for the Thunder from 2016-18, before joining the Knicks coaching staff two years ago. This move would make the most sense if Mark’s primary goal is to please KD with the new hire.

Jacque Vaughn, Current Position: Interim Brooklyn Nets Head Coach

Vaughn has close ties to the Nets organization; he’s been with the team since 2016 as an assistant coach and played behind Jason Kidd as the backup point guard from 2004 – 2006. Vaughn has championship experience as a player, winning a title with the Spurs in 2007. He also has experience as a Head Coach, when he coached the Orlando Magic from 2012-2015. Since he’s the interim coach for the remainder of the season, KD, Kyrie, and Marks will have front row seats to observe how he operates and communicates with players.

Jason Kidd, Current Position: Los Angeles Lakers Assistant Coach

Does anyone think the Nets aren’t crazy enough to bring Kidd back into the fold? Everyone knows he’s itching to be a head coach again. He seems to get along with most superstar players. Just ask Giannis Antetekumpo, who almost went to war with the Bucks for letting Kidd go a few years ago. And if the Lakers win the championship this year, they will be forced to keep Frank Vogel as Head Coach, who many thought was meant to be a placeholder for Kidd to take over down the line. While Kidd’s first tenure as coach of the Nets had its ups and downs, I wouldn’t put it past Marks and upper Nets management to bring back the most important Net of all time.

Becky Hammon, Current Position: San Antonio Spurs Assistant Coach

How great of a story would this be? The Brooklyn Nets hire the first female Head Coach in NBA history and then go on to win the championship in her first year as coach. This might be a reality come next year. Hammon has been under the Greg Popovich coaching tree for four years, where guys like Brett Brown, Mike Budenholzer, Mike Brown, and Jacque Vaughn have all gotten Head Coaching opportunities from being Spurs assistants. As a 15 year WNBA veteran, she’s extremely knowledgeable of the game, young enough to relate to the players, and might be the perfect coach for a team with championship aspirations.

Jay Williams, Current Position: ESPN/ABC analyst for multiple shows

I know this candidate is out of left field, but please hear me out. Williams has been closely linked to Kevin Durant for over the past year. When Durant got hurt, it was Williams who spoke to the media on behalf of KD throughout the process. When KD made his decision to sign elsewhere, Jay Williams was right there, taking interviews on Sportscenter, explaining why there was no ill will between Kevin Durant and the Warriors. Williams also has strong ties to Duke, Kyrie Irving’s alma mater. At 38 years old, he would be one of the youngest coaches in the league, giving him ample time to win multiple championships and create a dynasty in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Nets: Caris LeVert out vs Utah Jazz

Brooklyn Nets, Caris Levert

The Brooklyn Nets will be without their starting shooting guard Caris LeVert. This news may come as a surprise to many, but he is expected to miss Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz due to a right thumb sprain. According to CBS Sports, the injury occurred during the second quarter of the game against the Phoenix Suns.

Without realizing the severity of the injury, Caris LeVert continued to play through it. This is not to say that he is going to miss an extended amount of time. Within the next few days, Caris LeVert will undergo an MRI in which more information will be revealed.

This is a significant loss for the Brooklyn Nets as Caris LeVert is having a strong start to the season. He’s been poised for a breakout season for some time now. He’s averaging career highs in minutes, points, 3pt FG percentage, and rebounds. Caris LeVert has been a big part of Brooklyn’s success when they’ve had it through the first nine games.

He is the second-leading scorer in points (16.8ppg) after newly acquired Kyrie Irving. He is also one of Brooklyn’s better defenders on the perimeter.

Players who look to benefit from the newly free minutes are probably Dzanan Musa and David Nwaba. Both play similar positions as him and should bring the defense (Nwaba) and scoring (Musa) that the Brooklyn Nets will need to replace the absent Caris LeVert.

Brooklyn Nets: Quick Look at the Nets vs the Utah Jazz

Brooklyn Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie

The Brooklyn Nets are in dire need of a bounce-back game after getting burned by the Phoenix Suns. After a day in which they get to travel and rest, they will get that opportunity in Salt Lake City as they match up with the Utah Jazz.

The Utah Jazz are currently on a two-game win streak that featured championship-contending teams (the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks), so this may be an excellent chance to see how the Brooklyn Nets stack up in the bigger picture of the Eastern Conference. The Jazz also play tonight, so they’ll be coming into their game with the Brooklyn Nets off back to back. Brooklyn must take advantage of this.

With that being said, here are some things to look at going into tomorrow’s game:

Turnovers

The Brooklyn Nets turn the ball over at the second-highest clip in the NBA so far this season at a little over 18 giveaways a game (18.3). That is entirely too many. For a team that is 26th in defensive rating, the Brooklyn Nets cannot afford to give opposing teams extra possessions.

On a more optimistic note, the Utah Jazz are ranked 25th in the league on converting turnovers into points. But the Brooklyn Nets are ranked 27th in points allowed to opposing teams off turnovers. Come Tuesday, one of these stats will have to give way to the other.

But as always, the turnover game is very crucial to the Brooklyn Nets’ chances of winning. It is almost criminal for a team that ranks in the Top 5 of virtually every offensive statistical category to give up the ball and force itself to defend while it is a horrendous defensive team.

Style Clash

The Brooklyn Nets and the Utah Jazz are polar opposites as far as basketball teams go. The Brooklyn Nets are one of the fastest-paced teams in the league, while the Utah Jazz are one of the slowest. Brooklyn averages about ten more possessions a game than Utah (112.4 to 102). How fast the game is played holds extra weight with one team playing back to back. If Utah can keep the game at a slow pace, they can stave off the effects of playing a game the night before. If Brooklyn can push the tempo, however, they can make Utah commit sloppy play (23rd in turnovers) while weakening a defense that may be operating on heavy legs.

Containing The Spider

In his third season, Donovan Mitchell has career highs in almost every statistical category that matters. His points, FG percentage, 3pt FG percentage, rebounds, free throw attempts, and steals are all career highs through his seven games of play. As their franchise building block and leading scorer, keeping him from dominating the game is easier said than done. Brooklyn guards will have their hands full with him. This might be a game where David Nwaba can make a significant impact and showcase his need for more minutes.

Don’t Settle

For the first time since his rookie year, Rudy Gobert is averaging less than 2bpg (1.1). He is still known and feared for his shot-blocking ability, but that hasn’t quite been there as of yet. Some of that is solely because it’s early in the season. Some of that is because of the improved perimeter defense. Regardless of those factors and others, he is a big part of the NBA’s stingiest defense. The Brooklyn Nets cannot settle for jumpers all night. Attack Rudy Gobert and get him into foul trouble early. This should soften up a defense that allows less than 100pts a game and hasn’t allowed more than 104pts at home (only two teams have hit the 100pt mark when facing the Utah Jazz at home).

Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie’s Not Crying…You’re Crying

Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving

As of November 6th, the Brooklyn Nets are sporting a 3-4 record, good enough for the eighth seed in the NBA Eastern Conference. As the near .500 record might suggest, the early season has been filled with ups and downs. And when this is the case, things that would he mere whispers in winning situations, are booming voices in erratic situations.

Roughly a week or so ago, Jackie MacMullan delivered a piece concerning the Brooklyn Nets. More specifically, Kyrie Irving. It detailed a variety of different aspects. From how Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, and Kevin Durant all decided they would play together to Kyrie Irving’s relationship with his new teammates. What was the main topic of conversation was the following excerpt from that piece:

Yet Irving’s infamous mood swings, confirmed by his ex-teammates which followed him from Cleveland to Boston to Brooklyn, are the unspoken concern that makes Nets officials quite queasy. When Irving lapses into these funks, he often shuts down, unwilling to communicate with the coaching staff, front office, and sometimes, even his teammates. Nets team sources say one such episode occurred during Brooklyn’s trip to China, leaving everyone scratching their heads as to what precipitated it.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, this was no ordinary trip to China for NBA teams this Preseason. There was a lot of political weight and discomfort behind it, thanks in no small part to Houston Rockets GM, Daryl Morey. On top of this awkward and stress filled situation, Kyrie Irving had signed with childhood favorite team this offseason. I’m sure that was very emotional for him and probably only starting to truly sink in for him as he prepared to play actual games with teammates.

Perhaps him getting injured early on in the preseason helped contribute to a mix of complex emotions. And even more importantly, the anniversary of his grandfather’s passing was roughly two weeks away. I’m sure he had that on his mind as well. And we all should be well aware of what that caused for Kyrie Irving with the Boston Celtics. Not to say any of this is the case. I don’t want to put my thoughts of what could be the case in the same light as indisputable facts, but to call it a simple mood swing doesn’t seem fair to Kyrie Irving or his emotions. This is the same world that is constantly telling men to be more open with their emotions. With all that said, it was good to see so many people in his corner.

Brooklyn Nets coach, Kenny Atkinson, dispelled the reports adding on that Kyrie Irving has been an A+ as far as spirit. Fellow Brooklyn Net, DeAndre Jordan, went the sarcastic route where he jokingly said negative things about his friend almost as if to figuratively scoff at the report.

Even Stephen A. Smith went to bat for Kyrie Irving.

This guy is not just about basketball. There are other things that are affecting him, that’s clear. But to sit up there and act like that makes him a problem, is something that I have utterly ridiculous. He hasn’t been in Brooklyn for two damn weeks in the regular season. Two damn weeks and we talking about what kind of a problem…people are out there leaking stuff about him as if he’s a problematic dude… Just because folks don’t act the way you want them to act or doesn’t act the way everybody else wants them to act, does not make them a bad person or a problem.

I’m not sure if someone could have articulated any better. Well, outside of the man Kyrie Irving himself. Following the loss to the Indiana Pacers, Kyrie Irving said:

It’s ok to be human. I don’t have to be perfect for anyone here, nor do I have to be perfect for the public. I am not here to dispel any perception, I’m just here to be myself.

I think this shows such growth and acceptance of self with Kyrie Irving. This is a real showcasing of maturity from a man many did not believe was capable of leadership.