Kyrie Irving will miss the reasons for Brooklyn’s Nets game against the Grizzlies on Friday and did not fly to Memphis with the team.
A source familiar with the situation told The Post that Irving is physically well, but that he is upset about the attack on Capitol Hill in Washington DC by supporters of President Donald Trump.
The Association also reported the Breonna Taylor verdict, and the lack of punishment for the officers who shot dead the unarmed 26-year-old also contributed to Irving’s decision.
But the All-Star is not AWOL, and the team was aware of why he was not playing. Irving essentially took personal days.
Irving, who regarded Kobe Bryant as a close friend and mentor, left the garden and did not face the Knicks on Jan. 26 after hearing the tragic death of the Lakers icon. The points guard was limited to just 20 games in his debut Brooklyn campaign due to shoulder surgery ending the season.
Nets coach Steve Nash told Philadelphia before and after the win that he did not know why Irving was not playing or at Barclays Center. But a second source familiar with the situation said the point guard not only reached the team beforehand, but that the core of the information was passed on to Nash.
Irving is sixth in the NBA and scored 27.1 points. The Nets play at the back of a rugby player in Memphis on Friday and return home Sunday to host the Oklahoma City Thunder.