Several reports on Friday, February 3, have it that Kyrie Irving, has requested trade from his current team, the Brooklyn Nets. Kyrie Irving trade request came six days to the 2023 NBA trade deadline of Feb. 9.
According to the reports, Kyrie Irving said he would leave the Nets to become a free agent if the team could not trade him before Feb. 9.
The 30-year old point guard signed a four-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. He is therefore, in his last year of the contract.
Meanwhile, rumors making the trends online have it that Irving could be eyeing a move to the Los Angeles Lakers where his friend, LeBron James, is.
Irving’s outstanding play on the court, along with that of All-Star power forward, Kevin Durant, has helped elevate the Nets into a legitimate title contender.
The erratic veteran is the third Brooklyn All-Star player to want a trade in less than a year. The Nets granted James Harden’s trade request wish around the 2022 deadline. The Nets traded Harden for Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and Ben Simmons deal in exchange. However, the team rejected Kevin Durant’s trade request during the summer.
However, amid Kyrie Irving trade request from the Brooklyn Nets, we take a look at the top five controversies the player was involved in while with the Nets.
Some notable controversies involving Irving
- Absences from games: The Nets have always criticized Irving for taking extended time off from the team without proper explanation.
- COVID-19 protocol violations: Irving was criticized and faced disciplinary action by the NBA for violating COVID-19 protocols during the 2020-2021 season. He was caught attending a large indoor gathering without wearing a mask, which went against the league’s health and safety guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. Irving missed several games due to sanctions imposed on him by the league.
- Public comments: Irving has made controversial public comments on various subjects, including the COVID-19 vaccine and the 2020 Presidential election. With the 2020 elections, he expressed disbelief in the election results, and publicly called for investigations.
- On-court behavior: Irving has been involved in several on-court incidents, including an altercation with a fan in November 2020.
- Antisemetism retweet: The star player was recently involved in an antisemetic controversy. This was after he retweeted a book and a film which all promote hate against people of Jewish background. The Nets gave Irving a 5-match suspension as a result. He later apologized for the retweet after series of backlashes.
These controversies have generated significant media attention and have contributed to a perception of Irving as a difficult player. However, it is important to note that these incidents only paint a partial picture of Irving’s time with the Nets.
Irving is a professional basketball player who has had a successful and notable career in the NBA since 2011. He first played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then the Boston Celtics before joining the Nets in 2019.
Some of Irving’s career highlights
- NBA Champion: Irving won the NBA championship in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the finals, he hit a game-winning three-pointer in Game 7.
- Eight-time NBA All-Star: Named an NBA All-Star eight times (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023)
- Olympic Gold Medalist: He won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics as a member of the US Men’s Basketball team.
- Scoring Champion: Irving won the NBA scoring title in the 2020-2021 season, averaging 27.4 points per game.
- Clutch Performances: Many fans know Irving for his clutch performances in high-pressure situations, including game-winning shots in multiple playoff games.
- FIBA World Cup MVP (2014): FIBA voted for Irving as the Most Valuable Player in the 2014 world cup tournament held in Spain. He also won a gold medal for the United States at the tournament.
- NBA Rookie of the year (2012): In 2012, the league named Irving the Rookie of the year. He attained this success a year after Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the first overall pick
