Sometimes superstar athletes seem like a completely different species. Other times they seem a bit like the rest of us. After Kyrie Irving's third game back since being reinstated by the Brooklyn Nets, the seven-time All-Star opened up with reporters about his routine for viewing Nets games he's not (yet) eligible to play in.

Of course, the most recent 138-112 victory was a road game versus the first place Chicago Bulls and he was eligible there. Kyrie finished with just nine points on 4 of 10 from the field to go with 3 dimes and 4 boards. But this was the Nets best win of the season and everyone was in good spirits after the victory.

The Nets had yet to defeat any top teams in the NBA, having gone 0-8 vs. the best teams in each conference. But with this elite team losing streak boogeyman off their backs, Brooklyn can now set their sights on stringing together as many games as possible with their big three in the lineup.

After the last loss in Portland, where they let Anfernee Simons hurt them out on the perimeter with 23 points, Kevin Durant was asked about all of the travel, and rescheduled games. It seems the mere idea that there may have been a valid excuse for the Nets losing disgusted Durant.

“Who cares? It’s a part of the game,” asked an animated Durant. “It’s a part of who we are. We’ve been in the league. We’ve got young dudes. They’re supposed to get up to play. They throw s–t at you, you’ve got to figure out how to work around it. So who cares? That’s what championship teams go through a little adversity….Everybody’s schedule is f—-d up, you know?”

In the next win, Durant set the tone with 27 points, 9 assists shooting 7 of 10 playing with surgical precision. He backed up the no frills, no excuses mentality he talked about and bought himself some old-fashioned load management by helping to blow out the Bulls.

James Harden finished with 25 points and 16 dimes, silencing some of his nagging critics. But earlier Wednesday, there were new reports that the Nets could deploy Irving as a full-time player, if they were willing to eat some petty fines, per Stefan Bondy of the NY Daily News:

But until we learn more on that subject, the Nets will continue to operate as a part-time super team.

 

The more games they get to trot out their big three, the more chemistry they'll build. Remember, the trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving have played preciously few games in the last calendar year. They'll improve with reps. And their youngest players will only develop too. You're going to hear this an awful lot now that Irving is back, but we could be gearing up for some long overdue scary hours ahead.

But one thing so many of have been curious about, what does Irving do for games he can't play in? What's his routine?

“Man I'm in Jersey mainly,” said a laid-back Irving in Chicago, before a red-eye flight back to Brooklyn. “I go into the facility into Brooklyn to get treatment, do my workouts and then I go back home and I'm either with my son and my fiancé or I'm with just family around the community.”

Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia, the same place Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons grew up. But Irving was raised in Jersey, where Jason Kidd's Nets used to play, and considers that home.

“If you only understood how many people support the Nets from my hometown and also from where I'm from it's a lot so sometimes it can be a little overwhelming, I can't really go out and watch at a local bar or anything like that. I would love to just be ‘man ok K [he calls his friend Kevin Durant ‘K'] shoot a shot, let's [mimes drinking shots]. Nah I'm joking. But just having fun watching it and sometimes I gotta watch it alone and sometimes I get to watch with my family, so it's just a balance,” said Irving letting his guard down a bit.

The Nets definitely seem to be having more fun since Kyrie came back to the team. There has been a bit more levity in the air. Well, as long as you don't ask Kevin Durant if there are any excuses for tough losses, then things have been pretty light. But the idea of Irving doing shots every time Durant drains a hesi at a local bar in Jersey is pretty funny. The problem is Slim Reaper just hits too many of those for it to be healthy.