Kyrie Irving signed a four-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets this summer, spurning the New York Knicks for the other team in New York City.
All last season, the prevailing thought was Irving and Kevin Durant were going to sign with the Knicks and save the franchise.
Instead, both superstars chose the Nets, who made the playoffs in 2018-19 and have a better infrastructure:
“When it came down to the Nets and Knicks he was concerned about the management of the Knicks,” said a person familiar with Irving’s thinking, via Frank Isola of The Athletic. “It’s really as simple as that.”
The Knicks have been a walking disaster for years under owner James Dolan. The Nets, meanwhile, have an incredibly bright future with general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson running the show.
After Kristaps Porzingis requested a trade out of New York, a message was sent throughout the league. Porzingis was onto something and knew the Knicks couldn't build a winner.
The allure of playing in Madison Square Garden 41 times a season isn't enough for stars since management just doesn't appear to have things under control behind the scenes.
Irving grew up a Nets fan while living in New Jersey, so that was another big reason why he signed with Brooklyn.
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