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NEW YORK – Kyrie Irving spoke to reporters on Monday (Tuesday Manila time) for the first time this season, clarifying that he was not referring to the media last week when he said he does not speak to pawns.
One day after making a strong preseason debut for the Brooklyn Nets, Irving spoke for more than 15 minutes in a Zoom interview, explaining why he has been cautious in his comments.
Irving had not conducted an interview since NBA teams began holding press sessions on December 1. He and the Nets were both fined $ 25,000 last week for refusing to make the media availabilities required by the league.
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He responded with an Instagram post in which he appeared to be criticizing the media when he said he does not speak to pawns.
“It’s really how I feel about the mistreatment of certain artists when we hit a certain platform,” Irving said, adding that he wanted “total control” of his message.
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The All-Star point guard added that he wanted to avoid distractions as he and Kevin Durant return from injuries for their first season playing together in Brooklyn. Irving was strong Sunday, scoring 18 points while playing alone in the first half in a win over Washington.
He also praised first-year coach Steve Nash on Monday. While podcasting with Durant this summer, he said the Nets didn’t see themselves as having a coach.
“I think I have to retract my comments about the head coach from a few months ago,” Irving said. “But it’s like, man, we have great synergy. Everybody feels like we’re training each other to be better.”
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