The narrative of Kyrie Irving's constant mood swings and isolated demeanor has run rampant since the Boston Celtics failed to come close to expectations during the 2018-19 season. According to his new Brooklyn Nets teammates, that narrative is contradictory of what they've experienced since Irving joined the team this summer.
Irving has been a vocal leader, an enthused teammate, and a dedicated player since arriving in Brooklyn, with multiple players citing he leads by example and has brought a brand new level of competitiveness to practices.
Irving is the first player on the court, showing up roughly three hours before tip-off. The 27-year-old notably prefers not to be photographed prior to the game, arguing he's laser-focused on his routine — yet his off-the-court antics have been sharply monitored by the media.
According to ESPN, Irving had a mood swing episode and refused to remove his hat during a team photoshoot in China earlier in the preseason. His Nets teammates didn't make much of it:
“You understand now some of the things and some of the burdens that come with being a guy as high profile as Kyrie,” Spencer Dinwiddie, who has filled in for Irving at point guard, told Michael Scotto of Bleacher Report. “Sometimes people are going to say things that aren't completely accurate or maybe somebody had that opinion, but the rest of the team doesn't have that opinion. If somebody on the peripheral has that opinion about it, but we don't, then that opinion doesn't necessarily matter because his teammates and brothers don't feel that way about him.”
That sentiment extends to other teammates:
“[He's an] amazing teammate,” said third-year center Jarrett Allen. “Great guy. He's a funny guy. He meshes well with everyone on the team. He's just an amazing guy to be around. He makes it easy to play with someone like himself.”
“I don't think guys really pay attention to it as much as it's built up in the media,” said sharpshooter Joe Harris. “You spend every day with him. He's like a really normal guy that you just enjoy being around.”
A narrative is a matter of perception, and perceptions change according to who, what, when, where, and why. As long as the Nets feel comfortable with Irving, that's all that ultimately matters for a team that is slowly trying to climb out of a groggy start to the 2019-20 season.
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