Kyrie Irving on KD's Trade Request, Full Interview | 2022 NBA Media Day

There's a lot to unpack from Kevin Durant's press conference, we'll get into that in a moment, but first let's hear from Kyrie Irving from the season finale. I'm saying that from the point where you guys were dragged into obviously having contract negotiations that at least from the outside looked like they might have been contentious at some points, um, in deciding, okay, I'm just going to go with the year and then KD, uh, obviously, said, well, I want to be

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d. Katie was just saying here that her reasoning was that she didn't like the way the culture was going, guys weren't being held accountable, um in your mind, do you agree with that in terms of the culture not being what it should be? have been last year in your particular case, just individually with Are you sure that you will be here for the long term and that you can reach a contractual agreement to be here for more than just this year?

Yeah, well, I honor all of that. You know when I say I honor him, that's just it? Those events took place, I mean, it was a lot, just on my shoulders, just coming home knowing that we got swept the way we did and to be honest, it was probably the first time or one of the only times that you know in my career. where I felt embarrassed walking off the court and there's been a trend that's happened over the last few years, especially when I think about my playoffs and how I've performed in them and I went back and watched a lot of film and had a lot of reflection time and It was reassuring to know that there was something more to strive for in the next season.

It was something different that we were going to bring to this locker room this year and it was easy to achieve. I made the decision to return because I knew I was not willing to give up on something that I had not

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y seen and that was not perfect in terms of the way I handle situations and relationships that develop not only in this building but in my life, so I don't pretend to have it all figured out, but I definitely use this summer to maximize the knowledge of the people around me, people that I'm not only going to work with but on this journey and support them in a way that I knew they knew that They can hold me accountable and I can hold them accountable, so just meeting them where they are and it was a lot like listening to Kev win a

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request

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I chose to participate, it's awkward. It's so awkward, I'm sitting at home like I don't know what to make of it, but because we trust each other, ultimately I just want to see him do well and be happy, so if that wasn't within our organization was going to have to accept that and move forward and I knew I could move forward and get to a place where I knew Kev could be comfortable and everyone could be comfortable Sean Joe just our whole family and the culture that he's still talking about, I think it was necessary, you know, some honest conversations and that's what we did this summer and that's what we had to reflect on.

I hope I've answered a little bit, you know, there's a big timeline, a lot of days in the Summer where the offseason has taken its own emotions and courses and, you know, thoughts about what's going to happen, so I tried to focus on what I want to achieve and that was just focusing on being the best team I can be and being on a great team and what that means to me and really embodying that action every day and not just saying it so I don't want to talk too much. Not to preach too much here, but I had a lot of time to think and make The decision to move back to Brooklyn was the best for me, the best for me, the best to fit in here and just figure it out along the way as we start this party, Hey, Kyrie, play this a little bit, but if you can.

I kind of talked about Kevin's trade

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and were you surprised, given how close the two of you are? I mean, did he stay out of it when it was happening? Did he try to recruit you to come back to Brooklyn? validity obviously in his complaints about it or what he did, what made him ask when you say recruit, what do you mean did I recruit him again, yes, to force him to rescind the trade request, yes, he was on Kev from the beginning and he I honoured. your request and I understood it, there was a level of uncertainty in this building, not just over the past year but over the last few years, and that responsibility that you asked for should be available and accessible at all times and we should have that kind of environment, so I echo the same sentiments and I felt the same um, but we both knew I don't mean we both knew I won't speak for him.

I just felt the discomfort. I say, you know, I talk. when he asked for it, it's one of those shocking things that you know you have as a best friend and you're watching your best friend now come on the other side of the

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storm that comes with this Trader request and be in the middle of it. from uh, you know, it's like a group, you know, I mean all this, you know, all the stories that we've created, all the narratives around this team, that it's hard to answer every question that you guys have about us and what our intention is so I'll do my best to say you know I honored what Kev had and I was wishing him the best but this was the best opportunity for him and that's the best opportunity for me. and we feel good and it's not just about us but how great we are as teammates and our team is just a great team and that's all I'm going to keep saying, hey Kyrie, this time last year it seemed a matter of time until you get the extension um that didn't happen is you say okay, I'll get it, I'll have a good year, I'm going to get paid or is there any doubt in your mind that maybe it won't.

This was going to happen here. We had some internal conversations at the end of the season and started having some that I felt were going in the right direction, but it just didn't end well, going into free agency and what it looked like. long term and understood all the Nets points and respected them and honored them and didn't appreciate how not being vaccinated suddenly became a stigma within my career that I don't want to play. or I am willing to give up everything to be a voice for the voiceless and I will stand here and say that that was not the only intention I had was to be in the voice of the voiceless, it was to be in something that was going to be bigger than me and that I was going to understand probably in the distant future, you know, I don't know when, but I'll go back to my point saying that there was a level of uncertainty about what this was.

It's going to look like I came back and I had questions, they were answered truth

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y and that's all I needed and now it's just about having the support around me and providing support to my teammates and we go from there. I resigned for four years, a hundred and something million decided not to get vaccinated and that was the decision because the contract is vaccinated or not vaccinated and there is a level of uncertainty about your future, if you are going to be in this league, if you are going to be on this team , so I had to deal with that real life circumstance of losing my job because of this decision, so I was dealing with all those emotions while trying to ultimately secure the future of my family, so there were a lot of decisions to be made, but many really.

Conversations that gave me peace of mind to come back and really be fully into Kyrie right here in the middle. You said you've used this summer to meet people. Are you going on this journey with what you've learned from Ben? Simmons and how do you think his style fits with this team? It's not very often that you get a chance to see a 610 guy do the things that he does and we can talk about the intangibles we can talk about all the strengths um but I. Think about what I've been able to observe from afar as a competitor, you know, over the last few years, but now as a teammate, it's just his determination and his resilience, he wants it, whatever greatness it seems to him, he wants it. . and when you're surrounded by other wonderful people and you're in a great environment where you can be supported when you're going through your ups and downs, I think that can help make the journey easier and uh.

Ultimately, that's what I would like to play in this position and this role on our team is alongside all of our guys, just being a level of guide for him and being able to protect him when necessary, but also knowing that he is a a big kid, he can handle it and he doesn't shy away from the moment and I like that and I've seen that since I was in high school. We've had a connection from playing for the same high school coach with Kevin. Boyle, so we know what it's like to get yelled at and have your mom screwed over all the time and championships, championships, championships and being held accountable at a higher level and that's the best environment to be in because it brings out the best. of you, so I just want to see him bring out the best in himself and we have to help him like his teammates do.

Hey Kyrie, just to clarify your comments above, as far as your conversations with the Nets, get the extension and get the vaccine or play this? going out and not being vaccinated and dealing with the rest, you know, and secondly, when Katie was talking about responsibility and culture, I guess she had those conversations with people individually, how did that impact you when she said that? Well, I said and listened. and I'm a student because he's been through a lot and he's got experience, so I just honored his wisdom and what he had to offer and he's seen championship races, he's been a part of them, he won some and he lost some. .

I want a full space to be able to listen and offer advice where he can and just be responsible for making him feel comfortable on that level so that we can come together and meet where we are and those conversations that we had and him. had with others, I'm sure, it really came from a foundation of wanting the best and not just for himself but for others, and he's a selfless person, so always expect him to do the right thing and hold everyone accountable and do it. in a positive way and sometimes it won't look pretty and that's okay, we accept it for what it is, just like I accept everyone here for what they are, so we meet it halfway and then your first question, I'm sorry , I'm not good, what's wrong? your contract talks to the Nets, oh okay, yeah, we were supposed to have all of that figured out before training camp last year and it just didn't happen because of my vaccination and vaccination status, so I got your point and, um , I just had to live with it and it was a hard pill to swallow, man, honestly, okay, two questions, um regarding the contract, there were a lot of reports at the beginning of the summer and then, maybe you know, go somewhere in a contract and change, you could sign. for the minimum or the space or whatever, somewhere there was a moment where you thought you were really about to leave and then just a more general question, uh, no one doubts the talent obviously on this list with you, Katie and Ben Simmons, but Ben. hasn't played in a year and a half, you three have never played together, you yourselves must have some questions about what this will ultimately look like, so, the contract and then what you think this team could actually be with everyone.

This is presumably behind you, it's going to be difficult to play the hypothetical game with you, you're the best at it, so it's going to be a long journey ahead of us because there are hurdles with health and questions. about health and honestly the healthiest team wins every year most of the time and we want to be in that race and to be healthy it can't just be physically, it has to be mentally, it has to be emotionally and we have to have some synergy as a team where we understand our ups and downs, strengths and weaknesses and go from there, but the sky is the limit.

I don't mean that as a cliché, but it really is because we don't know. what this team is going to paint on this canvas this year so far, but we have the momentum, we have the motivation, we are saying all the right things and now it's just acting on them and doing it in a way that reflects a great brand of the that we can be proud of and that we can stick to every night so that the game plan starts with our coaches, the coaches hold us accountable for leveling, allowing Steve to be who he allows, allowing our coaches to be the ones who allow our player to coach . do what they do, management looks for big opportunities and ultimately we as players put on a show every night where the win column reflects how well we are connected as a team on both ends of the floor and we play complete games , and yes and then the first comment, yes, what is it about?

Have you ever been close to anything else anywhere else? Were you close to leaving? Yes, yes, there were options, uh, but not many. I'm telling you this because, again, this stigma is whether I want to play or not. or not, I'm going to be committed to the team, which I thought was really unfair at times, but it was also the ideal time to be able to put that on because I wasn't available, so now that I'm here and really present. on

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day and not on a zoom call and I can take pictures and be with my teammates and connect with everyone, it feels even better so it's an exciting time to be in this environment and be able to overcome what we did last time.year in the previous years and it's the fourth year for me in my home state, you know my home region, so I take it very seriously and I'm very proud of the example that I set for this next generation as I handle these next chapters of my life, the last two questions, hey Kyrie, um, you talked about feeling a little embarrassed after getting swept, uh, and then we also talked about the accountability factor, how do those two things factor into how you approach this season?

I guess maybe unlike any other season, I'd also be lying if I told you it wasn't fuel to the fire, it's definitely a lot of fuel to the fire, but it wasn't just because we got swept and it was because it was Boston or any of the emotional ties with that was because of how things collapsed towards the end of last season and uh and just a lot of details that I wasn't a part of that I missed and I just couldn't make up the time and now that we have a new page to turn with everyone healthy , I'm just looking forward to you saving, you know, all of these moments where I felt like there were levels of doubt about whether I was in or not.

I was going to play whether or not I was going to be in the teammates or something like that, any little doubt I don't want to have doubts or regrets I just understand that things are going to be imperfect sometimes but driving is responsible and communication helps a lot, so there is Great lessons to learn from those moments. Well, first I just want to clarify one more time before we become best friends by the end of the year. We already are. I mean you. I think we are best friends now, but by the end of the year we will be, we will be the best, we will give me a hug, you will say, look, we had to know.

I had to do my job, but I understand where you're coming from, I think it's fair compensation for the end of this year, you can say that and someone cut this off for me and you'll be here, ahead. Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt the second season of True Detective, you and I, uh, until now, just to clarify once again, are you saying that before last season the organization told you that if you got vaccinated, your extension would be there? conversations and and no, I don't want to repeat yourself, you are perfect at this, you only bring emotional situations, how you feel and very investigative, this investigative journalism, you are doing here whatever is necessary that day, okay?

I respect that, but seriously, I felt like I was forced to give an ultimatum about whether or not I had a contract or not, whether or not I could be on the team or be around the team, whether or not I could. He was vaccinated again, we had such difficult conversations and we both walked out of there with respect and I understood where they were coming from as an organization, Joe and representing the team, so he also understood where I was coming from. He was definitely into it. In that position where I had to make a decision, and given everything that happened last season this summer, going into this year, why should people believe that this is going to work and that you can get back to the level that you Do you want to be there and compete? for a title this year, yeah, I'm not focused on convincing people to believe in us.

It's too much energy, you know, spent on that wasted energy trying to convince people and believe in whether or not we can get a championship this year. year um I'm just going to let our actions lead, enough has been said, we're just going to let our actions lead and enjoy the actual process of creating and overcoming some of the gray areas within our league, you know, it's very, very human, very transparent, let's keep it up and I feel like we can achieve a lot, but to convince you and all of you, I don't have the energy this year, so I love you, good boy.