Kyrie Irving's tenure with the Brooklyn Nets could be more than his dynamic game. The superstar’s guard was suspended and began in the 2021-22 season because he was reluctant to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
He was suspended again next season after tweeting a movie titled “Black Hebrew: Wake up Black America”, and he subsequently refused to oppose anti-Semitism. Both events resulted in Brooklyn’s failure to offer Irving a contract extension, and he eventually asked for a deal, which connected him with the Dallas Mavericks.
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While he wasn't traded until the 2023 trade deadline, the Nine All-Star Game recently revealed that he requested to be released after his first suspension in 2021.
“Even the guy I run with is pro-vaccine,” Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving said Tuesday. “I thought, okay, look, good, but just let me (evapleverive) leave it and let me go somewhere. I even told the Nets to release me. I said, 'yo, can you release me?' And, obviously, the money situation – I (exaggerated) Kyrie, I said my position is clear, but they're not only going to make me swing.”
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Although Irving's time in the organization was damaged by controversy, he performed elite levels when he had time. He averaged 27.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, while shooting 48.9% from the field, 39.6% from three-pointers and 90.9% from the free throw line.
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Irving became the ninth member of the 50-40-90 club in 2020-21 and the fourth member to at least 25.0 ppg. However, Brooklyn seemed to be a legitimate championship contender that season, but he was injured and James Harden derailed their playoffs.
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