Kyrie Irving says he's 'standing for freedom' after Nets home debut
Kyrie Irving made his long-awaited return to Barclays Center on Sunday, but his lackluster evening wasn't what he or Brooklyn Nets fans expected.
After being barred from playing in home games this season due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19, the New York City private-sector mandate was lifted last week, clearing the way for Irving to play games in Brooklyn.
He did just that over the weekend, making his home debut in front of a record crowd of 18,166.
But it wasn't the performance Nets fans hoped for.
Irving struggled from the floor, shooting just 6-for-22 — including 1-for-9 from 3-point range — for 16 points, adding two rebounds and 11 assists, as the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Nets 119-110.
The seven-time NBA All-Star then addressed his performance after the game — but he talked about more than just hoops.
"My presence out there was just bigger than the basketball game," Irving said. "I was just representing a lot of individuals that are out there in a similar situation as me. And now that I can play, I think we should be opened up for everybody."
"The point of this season for me was never to just take a stand," Irving continued. "It was really to make sure that I'm standing on what I believe in — and freedom. Freedom — I don't think that's a word that gets defined in our society. I'm standing for freedom. That's in all facets of my life. There's nobody that's enslaving me. There's nobody telling me what I'm gonna do with my life, and that's just the way I am.
"And if I get tarnished, you know in terms of my image, and people try to slander my name continuously, those aren't things that I forget. I haven't forgotten anything that anybody's said."
On Monday, Shannon Sharpe weighed in on Irving's return and reacted to his postgame comments.
"I got a problem with it because I don't like the fact that Kyrie thinks he's a martyr," Sharpe said. "Does Kyrie realize [that] there are people in this similar situation, but he gets an exemption because he's an athlete or an entertainer? So, sit it down. Say, ‘Until everybody is allowed to do what he or she wants to do, I’m not doing anything.' That's what a martyr does! They die for the cause!"
"And they don't get paid while they're doing it," Skip Bayless added.
Kyrie Irving speaks out after home debut, as Brooklyn Nets lose to Charlotte Hornets I UNDISPUTED
Bayless echoed Sharpe's thoughts, pointing specifically to Sunday's result as a big cause for concern.
"[The Nets] are barely hanging on to the nine-spot. They're a game and a half ahead of the [Atlanta] Hawks for the 10-spot, and we all know the 10-spot is the last spot in play-in. … You just lost to Charlotte at home in your first home game to fall to 39-36. You're barely over .500, and you stunk, and [Kevin Durant] stunk and your whole team stunk [Sunday]. And yet, you're talking about freedom?"
Irving is indeed free to play, home and away, as the playoffs approach.
But unlike Sunday, he'll likely need to turn that freedom into a few wins for the Nets should Brooklyn be successful in righting the ship as their championship quest sets sail.
