The Brooklyn Nets made a huge decision on Kyrie Irving on Tuesday. The team put their foot down on Irving's anti-vax stance by telling him that he won't be allowed to play for the team unless he is a “full participant.” Kevin Durant is also at the center of all this, and it looks like he isn't happy about this entire situation.
According to NBA insider Ohm Youngmisuk of The Athletic, KD has yet to speak with Kyrie following the Nets' big announcement:
Kevin Durant says he has not spoken to Kyrie Irving since Tuesday's news of the Nets saying Irving will not play or practice with the team.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 15, 2021
Irving and Durant are extremely close, so the fact that they have not spoken for several days is definitely a big deal. The Nets made a monumental decision that could potentially have a significant impact on Irving's future with the team, and the fact that KD hasn't reached out to his buddy (or maybe he has and failed?) about this is, at the very least, suspicious. The worst-case scenario is that these two are no longer on speaking terms.
For his part, Durant says that he still wants Irving to return to the team. However, he fully understands the situation at hand:
Kevin Durant says he "definitely wants Kyrie around" but he says "Kyrie made his decision… and the team did the same." He wants the whole team together and at full strength but he hopes everything works out for both parties eventually.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 15, 2021
It is also worth noting that, according to reports, the Nets brass sat down with both Durant and James Harden prior to Tuesday's decision. One can only assume that the front office made KD and Harden aware of their plan on Kyrie before they made it public. Perhaps they even asked for Durant and Harden's blessing?
At this point, one thing is clear. The Nets are in a real mess right now, and this could potentially affect their stature as the heavy favorites to win the title this season.
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