NEW YORK – Kyrie Irving rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday after two weeks away from the team.
“I’m back, I’m glad to be back,” Irving told reporters. “And we got some amazing pieces and we just keep going and I let my actions and my game speak for itself as I planned to do. I just needed a break.”
Irving trained with the team on Tuesday and coach Steve Nash said he “expects” Irving to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Irving has missed the team’s last seven games – five for personal reasons and two while conditioning.
Irving said he had ‘many family and personal things. So, I just want to leave it at that. ‘
During that time, for personal reasons, the Irving League fined $ 50,000 for violating health and safety protocols and attending a family birthday party. He also lost more than $ 800,000 in salary for the two games he missed in the quarantine.
Irving declined to comment on whether he knew he was violating the league’s coronavirus safety rules, saying, “Happy to be back. Thank you.”
The last game Irving played for Brooklyn was on January 5th. The next day, a crowd of supporters of President Donald Trump attacked the American Capitol. Irving said Tuesday he needs to make a ‘separation’ between current political and social events in the United States and playing in the NBA.
“If you do not make that distinction,” Irving said, “then it’s easy to feel the weight of the world while you go play there. I’ll lie here and say I do not. I’m just having a big responsibility to serve my community and the subordinate. bigger than ourselves. ‘
Irving said it was ‘hard to ignore’ what was going on in the world and he wanted to continue to ‘make daily changes’. Still, he said he is committed to playing basketball.
“When things get overwhelming in life, you just have to take a step back and realize what’s important,” Irving said. “And I love playing – it’s never been a question. I committed myself when it was not even something for me.”
Irving apologized to fans for fans who may have been frustrated or disappointed by his absence, saying he understood their perspective because ‘I was a fanatic. I have been invested in this organization since I was a child. ‘
“My commitment is always to bring something special to Brooklyn,” Irving said. “It was not just a championship. It was unity, equality, just bigger things than just the game itself. It initially took a while and quite a few valleys to get home again. So, for me I just take it every day just to be thankful. ‘
Irving said he addressed his teammates and the organization separately.