Kyrie Irving reveals that he never met with the Brooklyn Nets front office in free agency and that the franchise only wanted Kevin Durant.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets as a package deal ahead of the 2019-20 season. While the latter was recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals, the organization was willing to do whatever it takes to land him.
The former recently opened up on their decision to join the Nets. He revealed that he never met with Brooklyn's front office and the organization didn't want him.
"I didn't meet with the Nets front office one time," Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving stated. "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've taken some more time to delegate and figure out what's best for me."
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"I wish that we got a chance to get to know them beforehand because they wasn't (expletive) with me like that," Irving later added. "And that's just me. That's my perspective. That's my perspective. Now, did they want me on the team? Sure, you could say that, but Kenny Atkinson wasn't (expletive) with me like that, bro. The Nets didn't want me like that. They wanted K."
Irving noted that he didn't have real power within the organization. He hinted that he was not a fan of the hiring of Steve Nash, however, his opinion didn't matter.
It is a surprise that the nine-time All-Star never met with the front office, however, it also is a sign of the times as players often prioritize who they are playing with over the organization. While Irving and Durant seemed set on playing together, it is possible that the duo could have chosen a different destination if the former met with the front office and didn't like their pitch.
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Category: Basketball
