Following the Celtics’ first round sweep of the Nets, Kyrie Irving made it clear that he intends on staying in Brooklyn next season.
In his post-game conference, there was one part of his message that stood out to fans, mostly in a negative way.
“When I say I’m here with Kev, I think that it really entails us managing this franchise together alongside [owner] Joe [Tsai] and [general manager] Sean [Marks], and just our group of family members that we have in our locker room, in our organization,” Irving said.
Fans were surprised that Irving wants to help manage the Nets after not being part of the on-court leadership for most of the season. The seven-time All-Star missed a major chunk of the 2021–22 NBA season due to the vaccination requirement in Brooklyn. Irving is not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck said the Nets were “doomed from the start” based on Irving’s decision to not get vaccinated. The team struggled to bond as a team and perform to their highest ability, along with facing other obstacles throughout the season.
The other shock to Irving’s statement was that it came immediately after the Nets got swept, becoming the only team this year to be swept in the first round.
Here’s some Twitter reaction to Irving’s managing statement.
