Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who hasn’t appeared in a game since January 5, returned to practice on Tuesday and is expected to be back in action on Wednesday when Brooklyn takes on the Cavaliers, head coach Steve Nash told reporters today (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).
Irving was required to quarantine for several days after violating the NBA’s health and safety protocols, and more recently has been going through workouts in an effort to get his conditioning level back to 100%. Before that, he had been away from the team on personal leave.
Asked today about his absence, the star point guard declined to go into much detail, telling the media – including Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link) – that he’s had “a lot of family and personal stuff” going on during the last two weeks.
“I’m happy to be back, I’m happy to be with these guys,” Irving said, per Adam Zagoria of Forbes (Twitter link). “I addressed the team and ready to move on.”
Irving also apologized to the fans he disappointed by not playing, explaining that he “just needed a pause,” according to Andrews (Twitter link). He added that he’s excited about joining the Nets’ new-look lineup alongside James Harden, and is looking forward to letting his “game speak for itself.”
Assuming Irving returns to the court on Wednesday, it’ll be the first time we see Brooklyn’s new Big Three (Irving, Harden, and Kevin Durant) in action, as well as the first time Kyrie has played a game in Cleveland since October 17, 2017, as Marc Stein of The New York Times notes (Twitter link). A longtime Cavalier, Irving played in his first game for the Celtics on that date over three years ago.
I wonder how Irving would feel if the rest of the team took a few days off and left him alone to figure it all out?
Why do you wonder that, Jason?
It all out? I would not hold your breath…start with figure anything out…with regards to Irving.
da big three gunna break more records
He’s human. As long as he plays the rest of the season out with no issues…no harm no foul.
^This. People forget “star athletes” are humans too.
Yea and can you not show up to work for a week whiteout calling your boss and not lose your job? He’s a professional basketball player that gets paid millions to play a game. Every day millions of people wake up not wanting to go to work or that don’t like their jobs and you know what they do. Show up to work.
Some bosses are understanding of personal issues and will give leeway. Yes, he gets paid millions and lost a small piece of it for the games he missed, but most of us can’t play at the level he can or bring in notoriety and revenue to our organizations the way he can.
You’re right but there are correct channels to go through for all of this. You don’t just disappear for a week and a half without talking to your boss but are posting on social you out at the club for your sisters birthday. Like come on man I understand mental health is a serious issue but this is ridiculous. Honestly I just don’t think he loves the game anymore and there isn’t anything wrong with that but let’s call it what it is.
Ya bring your lunch pail and your hard hat and do your job! Lol companies also allow ppl to go on leave of absence for health issues, it’s not that unusual.
Stop comparing Kyrie to Joe the plumber. He is an exceptional talent, and as a result gets more leeway from the organization and his teammates. Sorry if that’s hard for you to accept but it’s reality.
Buddy you don’t know the details of the situation.
Yea nobody does because he he basically just said I’m not coming in for the next 10 days with no explanation.
Just because the team did not make public his explanation (nor do they owe it to you to do so), doesn’t mean he didn’t have one. There is plenty of stuff that goes on that doesn’t get reported to fans, believe it or not.
Straight from his coaches mouth “I have no idea why Kylie isn’t playing” sounds like the team doesn’t know either.
Yes because coaches are always completely honest and transparent with the media lol are you new or something?
@DarkGhost: for the love of God, stop comparing ‘professional athlete’ with a regular job. There is zero comparison.
Kyrie Irving is one of the 20 best people at his job in the entire world and he generates millions of dollars of revenue for his company in addition to potential prestige (winning a championship, which could raise the value of a franchise substantially, earning his boss a ton of money). This is the reason he gets paid millions of dollars. This is the reason he can take time off and not face that many consequences. Irving has worked harder to get where he is than you or I (or any person working a regular job) ever has for anything. Period.
You and I are not one of the best people on earth at our jobs. We are easily replaced. Even if we somehow have a very, very specialized skill like Irving does, we are not generating as much money as Irving is.
Why is this so hard for some sports fans to understand?
This “he is one of the x best people in y job” is such a lazy and bad argument. I’ve worked for people who are in the “top 20” of whatever job before who are worth big money. Guess what? They work long hours and often have the viewpoint of treating everyone regardless of position equally.
This is what I want to ask the people who make the “he is so successful he gets certain freedoms” excuse. What is the limit to it? Can Irving do this once? Twice? Three times? Can he demand no intern or lower staff look him in the eyes or they are fired? Can he park in the handicap parking spot?
The bottom line is that the majority of his skilled peers (Doncic, Giannis, Curry, etc) don’t behave this way and having high job demand because you put a ball in a hoop doesn’t excuse bad behavior.
The limit does not exist. It’s whenever the Nets get tired of it, and they obviously feel it’s better for the team if they let him do his thing and come back when he’s ready. Yeah, not all players will be afforded that, but they knew what they were getting when the signed him.
Didn’t Rodman disappear to Vegas for a week or something? How’d that work out? I’ll wait…
I’ll play your game. You are trying to say this is the same situation? Ok, so Rodman in 1997 had helped the Bulls win a title the previous year. He also had 2 rings previously. He helped get his team back to a second straight finals. He only took a few days off. He asked permission before he went. He left with the understanding when he returned he would be a great teammate. He made an all-nba defensive team the previous year and that year.
Even with your “star treatment” argument you are wrong, so tell me. Does Kyrie have 3 rings? Is he on the current reigning NBA champions team? Is he in the finals? Is he on an all-NBA team? Is he a great locker room guy when he isn’t on a trip? Did he ask for and get permission to do this? I’ll wait…
You’re right I’m wrong. Rodman is the best, Kyrie is the worst. There are no similarities between the two, and to compare them would be a fool’s errand. My humble apologies.
So what’s your ideal scenario then? Should Kyrie be kicked out of the league? Suspended? He already was fined and lost game checks. Should they go further and blackball him from the NBA entirely? Because he took a few days off without letting someone know ahead of time? What would make BlackAce happy?
It just boggles my mind that KD, Nash, Nets org are okay with it…that they are not at a competitive advantage with him out (probably the opposite), and yet still for some reason you can’t let it go. Am I missing something?
He should be suspended a week.
Lol that’ll show him! And no dessert and straight to his room.
You have no idea if KD, Nash and the org are actually ok with it. You have no idea what might have been said behind closed doors. Sometimes coaches, players and teams aren’t completely transparent.
@Black Ace57: “This “he is one of the x best people in y job” is such a lazy and bad argument. I’ve worked for people who are in the “top 20” of whatever job before who are worth big money. Guess what? They work long hours and often have the viewpoint of treating everyone regardless of position equally.”
A) I doubt you’ve worked with anyone in the “top 20” on earth in their chosen profession. You’re here with me posting on Hoopsrumors on a Tuesday night.
B) “worth big money” does not necessarily mean that the person generates millions, possibly tens or hundreds of millions (in team worth), which is what I’m talking about.
C) these people you worked with are absolutely more replacable than Kyrie.
D) whatever job you’re talking about, where you’re working with the top people on earth who are worth “big money” is clearly not what I’m talking about when I said normal jobs are not comparable to pro athletes.
E) I assume these amazing, mega-rich people you work with take whatever vacations they want and whatever time off they want, just like Kyrie is doing right now.
There’s nothing “lazy” about the argument. It’s true. Comparing being a professional athlete to a normal job is insane. There’s no comparison.
I lol’d at A but it also stung
“Posting on Hoops Rumors makes you a loser” nice projecting I guess you are disappointed with your life.
It’s called hating ….
@Black Ace is literally 100 percent right. The “top 20” people in any field work harder and longer then the others. Bottom line is Kylie doesn’t love the game anymore and there is nothing wrong with that. But just come out and say that don’t disappear for 10 days without contact your employer and expect no one to have questions or think you’re being a drama queen. Clearly he was in good enough mental health to be in a club with no mask on for his sisters birthday so why isn’t he playing ball.
@DarkGhost: Kyrie has worked harder and longer than the others to get where he is. Why are you ignoring that?
Also, nice to know that you have inside info and can give us the scoop that Kyrie “doesn’t love the game anymore”.
What are the odds that happens tho? He’s more likely to go AWOL again than he is to finish the season. Granted, they’ll be fine with just harden and Durant anyway.
Remember when they tried leaking that it was about politics and that was proven false? Remember when they said Irving would give both the fans and the team a good reason why he had to be out? Once again a babied star player. No other sports league allows this.
@black ace kyrie did buy a house for george floyd’s family so idk why u said them leaking it wus bout politics was proven false. he basically wanted to put humanity first before money. thats da most likely reason he decided not to play for a while.
I’m very interested to see how Har(RickRoss)en and Kyrie play. Can’t wait for a true test, good team good D team. They got Heat and Clippers coming up.
He’s dragged down every team he’s been on. Lebron is responsible for Cleveland winning that title.