The NBA fined the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving after “Uncle Drew” refused to speak to the media earlier this week.
Irving, who always seems to have some sort of sage wisdom to lend to others, had a rather strange response during which he appeared to refer to the media as “pawns.”
That categorization has struck a chord with Irving's former teammate. Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love pushed back on Kyrie's comments:
“Calling anybody a pawn is a sure sign of disrespect,” Love said, via Tom Withers of the AP. “I’m not a divisive person.”
#Cavs Kevin Love disagrees with former teammate Kyrie Irving’s stance on the media.
“Calling anybody a pawn is a sure sign of disrespect,” Love said. “I’m not a divisive person.” pic.twitter.com/4izgXgnO1A— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) December 11, 2020
Kyrie's initial statement essentially suggested he would not be speaking to the media for the entirety of the season. Of course, the NBA would never permit such a thing to occur. The league is well accustomed to pressuring players into at least showing up for media sessions.
But it is not a surprise Kyrie Irving would prefer to stay out of the public eye, in that regard.
The six-time All-Star has had some peculiar moments in press conferences, including his buying into being a flat-earther. Moreover, fellow Nets teammate Kevin Durant has taken a similar stance in the past.
Durant went long stretches without speaking to the media during his final season with the Golden State Warriors. Members of the press were insistent on asking about his future and questioning his relationship with teammates and head coach Steve Kerr. Durant instead skipped out on media and drowned out the noise.
Perhaps Irving wishes to do the same. Still, Love feels he could be handling the situation in a far more diplomatic fashion and show some more respect to the journalistic professionals covering the sport.
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