Jan 28, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) brings the ball up court in the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving has strong opinions on stint with Brooklyn Nets

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Keenan Womack | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 4:20 PM ET

Kyrie Irving has always been a polarizing figure in basketball, despite the amount of success he has had on the court. He is a nine-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA performer, and a member of the 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers, where he, along with LeBron James, played a major role in delivering the city's first-ever NBA Title after upsetting the 73-win Warriors.

In the face of all of the on-court success came a string of controversies in which Irving made enemies across the league, starting with his time in Boston, and continuing with both on-court and non-legal off-court issues until his arrival in Dallas in 2023.

After former teammate Kevin Durant and former coach Steve Nash discussed their time in Brooklyn, Irving said he would talk about their comments on a live stream, which he did on Tuesday, saying the following regarding his decision to play for Brooklyn, and some of the regret that came with it.

"I waited for my [Kevin Durant] to get healthy, and now Brooklyn...I wish that we got to know them beforehand, because they wasn't [expletive] with me like that," Irving said. "That's just me, that's my perspective. Did they want me on the team? Sure, you could say that. But Kenny Atkinson wasn't [expletive] with me like that. The Nets didn't want me like that. They wanted KD, and that's my vantage point. This is the information that I gathered after I left. Again, this is not about Brooklyn, it's just about business."

Never one to shy away from an opinion, Irving likely upset more people with these recent comments, re-igniting a feud with a franchise that has likely since moved on from the situation. Judging by responses on social media, many didn't take the comments well. If there is one thing fans can count on, however, it is that Irving will speak his mind when he feels like it, regardless of the fallout.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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