Kyrie Irving reveals why Nets tenure was over before it began

When Kyrie Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, he was doing so after a disastrous year with the Boston Celtics. Irving's reputation as a positive influence on a locker room was all but gone. He was seen as a dice roll, but one the Nets were willing to take.

Irving wasn't the only addition to Brooklyn's roster that summer. They also signed Kevin Durant, despite his recent Achilles tendon injury. James Harden's arrival quickly followed.

Yet, when looking back on how his arrival in Brooklyn unfolded, Irving has some regrets. The All-Star guard believes he was an addition born out of necessity, as the Nets coveted Durant at all costs. Irving shared his thoughts on the situation during a recent Twitch stream.

"I didn't meet with the front office one time. I didn't meet with the GM one time. The assistant GM one time. Literally, when I look back at that decision, I'm like, man, I should have taken some more time to delegate, figure out what's best for me...Brooklyn, I wish that we had gotten a chance to get to know them beforehand. Because they weren't f-----g with me like that...And that's just me. That's my perspective. That's my perspective. Now, did they want me on the team? Sure. You can say that. But Kenny Atkinson wasn't f------g with me like that, bro. The Nets didn't want me like that. They wanted KD."

Irving's rash decision to jump ship to Brooklyn was of his own doing. He'd burned multiple bridges in Boston, despite Danny Ainge wanting to build around a trio of him, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Irving made a leap of faith that took him back to his hometown and paired him with one of his best friends.

The problem is, Irving was moving into a situation where he wasn't the top star. Harden's arrival pushed him further down the totem pole. Had Irving done his due diligence, he would have had a better understanding of the situation he was walking into. Unfortunately, when you drop a grenade and run, you don't have time to look where you're going to end up. And that's exactly how his exit from the Celtics can be described. 

Unfortunately for Irving and the Nets, their time together yielded no positive results. However, he's now thriving with the Dallas Mavericks and in a position where he's valued and counted on. As a result, we're seeing the best version of Irving. Unfortunately, his Brooklyn tenure will be a blemish on his career moving forward, regardless of what context is added to it in the years to come.