The toxic relationship between Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets appears to be swinging back the other way.
In a series of Instagram posts this week, the Nets seemed to indicate that tensions with Irving were cooling. The seven-time All-Star Irving hosted a pro-am event on Thursday at Kean University in Union, NJ, close to where Irving grew up and attended high school. Irving himself played in the event, dubbed “More Than A Run,” and the Nets went out of their way to share several photos of Irving doing so on their official social media pages.
Put on a show for the squad to enjoy 🤝 pic.twitter.com/StkVS8F2XS
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 5, 2022
Here's a couple of screenshots from Nets official Instagram site. Net also posted videos of Irving at Kean. Something's happening here, what it is ain't exactly. pic.twitter.com/CtnefXL9b1
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) August 5, 2022
Kyrie Irving on the Brooklyn Nets official Instagram accounts story… this doesn’t look like a player on the trade block to me
🎥 @BrooklynNets Instagram pic.twitter.com/xXM9yqGWJF
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) August 5, 2022
By the same token, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports this week that Irving is in “a good place” with the Nets and is comfortable about heading into the 2022-23 season. The report cited “a source close to Irving.”
As for the Nets themselves, they have been very intentional in the past about omitting Irving from their team websites, so the fact the team is now posting him again feels like a sign that the relationship has improved.
At least for the moment, it is a good business move for the two sides to play nice. There are nothing but crickets when it comes to Irving’s trade market right now, so the possibility of Irving being moved could be contingent on a Kevin Durant trade, something that may not even happen itself. Meanwhile, Irving is only signed for one more year. It might make sense at this point for both sides to swallow their pride and play out the 2022-23 campaign.
There is likely still a lot of work to do when it comes to Irving’s relationship with the Nets. But this all looks like a major improvement from just a few weeks ago when the Nets were reported to be considering a drastic move just to rid themselves of Irving’s stench.
