Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson expects star point guard Kyrie Irving to play against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday despite the tragic death of Irving's idol, Kobe Bryant.
Irving didn’t play on Sunday versus the New York Knicks, the day Bryant passed away.
Irving has yet to comment on the passing of Bryant, which is understandable given how close Irving was to Bryant. When Kyrie won the 2016 championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he FaceTimed Bryant from his locker. That’s just one anecdote detailing how much Bryant meant to Irving.
The Nets are 19-26 on the season, eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings and currently two games ahead of the ninth-seeded Chicago Bulls.
Irving has appeared in 17 games this season for the Nets. He’s averaging 27.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists while shooting 46.0 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from beyond the arc and 92.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has officially changed his number from No. 8 to No. 26 to honor Kobe Bryant. Dinwiddie is a native of Los Angeles and has been public in expressing how much Bryant meant to him. The NBA typically forces players to wait until the offseason to change numbers, but they granted Dinwiddie’s request in this instance.
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