In an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews during All-Star weekend, Kyrie Irving urged the Dallas Mavericks to “tone down” their criticism of Luka Doncic, who was unexpectedly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers before the deadline earlier this month.
As Grant Afseth of Athlon Sports reports, several media leaks have surfaced, offering critical remarks about Doncic, while overlooking his significant contributions during his time with the team.
“Part of our job every day to deal with the public space, but there were real relationships that were built behind the scenes that will transcend just the basketball court, coaching, and then upper management,” Irving told ESPN. “I know that for my own peace of mind, just because we not only had two years together, but we got a chance to know each other as men.
“Hopefully, we can tailor back on some of the public criticism aspects of it and really just maintain the kindness and the compassion that we have for each other that’s real every day, not just one moment or a sound bite that ends up being described as something that could be taken out of context.
“That’s what I feel like is going on right now. People are highly emotional. I’m not the one to shun anybody, whether in a public forum or behind the scenes, and trying not to have that happen.”
