When Kyrie Irving returns to Barclays Center on Tuesday, the Nets will be reminded of one of the most chaotic eras in Nets history, a year after he was forced to leave Brooklyn to join the Mavericks. .
There’s no clear prediction on how Brooklyn fans will react to the point guard, but when he did play, he averaged 27.1 points and shot 48.9 percent from the field, electrifying the floor.
Meanwhile, his tenure in Brooklyn has been plagued by injuries and off-court controversies (including tweeting a link to an anti-Semitic film and refusing to take a COVID-19 vaccine), leading to suspensions and other absences. Ta.
Nick Claxton told the Post there are “mixed emotions” about Irving potentially playing Tuesday night. “Obviously, he missed a lot of games for various reasons. But he’s always been a good mentor to me, and our relationship goes beyond basketball.”
Irving, who missed the Mavs’ past six games with a thumb injury, was in the lineup for Monday’s game against the 76ers.
If they play Tuesday, it will be the 23rd time in 50 games this season that Irving and Luka Doncic will appear in the same game.
Irving played in just 143 games in 3¹/₂ seasons with the Nets, refused a COVID-19 vaccination despite league mandates in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, and remained unwell in his final year. He was absent due to Propaganda of anti-Semitic films.
He was suspended by the Nets and owner Joe Tsai for not first apologizing for promoting the film.
When the Nets played the Mavericks in Dallas on Oct. 27, the eight-time All-Star said there was never bad blood between him and the Nets.
“I’ve never had a bad relationship with the organization. I think there was a lot of confusion and noise from the media, as usual,” Irving said. “I don’t mean to blame you guys, but nobody knew what was going on behind the scenes. I think people always have sources they go to. [about] What was going on and what actually happened?
“But for me, offering to be traded was the best decision of my career. I knew I needed peace of mind.”
The trio, paired with Kevin Durant and James Harden, was acquired in hopes of bringing the Nets their first NBA title.
Instead, they only managed one win in the playoff series against Boston, then lost to the Bucks in the semifinal round of the 2020-21 season.
After the collapse of the Big 3, the Nets were forced to rebuild. But the story didn’t cloud the opinions of Irving’s former teammates about him.
“There was a lot,” Royce O’Neal said of what she gained from her time with Irving. “From the first moment I got here, he’s been a great guy on and off the court. He’s been one of our leaders. His work ethic and the way he plays has been a lot of fun to watch. Just being around him and seeing his success and progress makes me happy for him.
“His overall skill set. His handle. He can manipulate the defense and pretty much control the entire offensive game.
Irving entered Monday averaging 25.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in 27 games this season.
Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie will also face familiar faces Tuesday night.
Finney-Smith played seven seasons in Dallas before being traded to Brooklyn in 2022, and Dinwiddie stayed for 2¹/₂ seasons.
