Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving clarified labeling members of the media as “pawns” in his first address since an Instagram story decrying his relationship with the press.
Irving had a 17-minute media session on Monday during which he reportedly was upbeat and stated the “pawns” comment had to do more so with “protecting his voice on the platform,” per Greg Logan of Newsday.
https://twitter.com/GregLogan1/status/1338540273052377095
https://twitter.com/GregLogan1/status/1338537049092214788
Irving experienced quite a bit of backlash from the “pawns” comment, including from former teammate Kevin Love. He and the Nets were also fined for his refusal to engage with the media at the start of team camp.
It appears Kyrie is attempting to smooth things over, though he might still be subject to immense scrutiny going forward.
For starters, the Nets are in one of the biggest markets in the league. Secondly, Brooklyn is expected to be a contender in the Eastern Conference with a healthy Kevin Durant returning to the fold.
Irving and Durant showed glimpses of why the Nets could be dangerous during the team's preseason matchup with the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
Kyrie poured in 18 points in just 17 minutes, going 7-for-9 from the field and pretty much generating whatever offense he wanted. Durant was less efficient (5-for-12) but still looked strong in his first instance of competitive basketball in 18 months.
All eyes will be on the Nets as they look to stake claim to one of the top seeds in the East. The media is sure to hound Irving and Co. all year, so he was wise to mend the relationship on Monday.
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