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- Kyrie Irving has declined to speak to the media so far this season, although he is bound by contract.
- The NBA fined Irving and the Brooklyn Nets $ 25,000 each for refusing to speak to the media on multiple occasions.
- Irving said on Instagram that he hopes the money will go to charities and said he refuses to speak to “pawns.”
- Irving has a checkered history with the media, having criticized how his comments have been portrayed.
- Visit the Insider home page for more stories.
Kyrie Irving appears to be in a looming war with both the media and the NBA.
When NBA training grounds opened last week, Irving did not speak to the media. Instead, he issued a statement saying he did not intend to speak to reporters this season.
“My goal this season is to let my work on and off the court speak for itself,” the statement read. “Life hit differently this year and it demands of us, it demands of me, to move differently. So this is the beginning of that change.”
Irving also said he was releasing the statement so that his message would “get through correctly.”
This week, the NBA fined Irving and the Nets $ 25,000 each, as players are contractually required to speak to the media.
Irving responded to the fine on Instagram with a quote from Malcolm X. He then called members of the media “pawns,” adding that he hopes the money from the fines will go to charities.
—HoopsHype (@hoopshype) December 11, 2020
According to Zach Harper of The Athletic, the NBA and the NBPA donate money from fines to agreed-upon charities.
Irving’s comment on the “pawns” sparked reactions across the NBA world.
Athletic’s David Aldridge suggested that Irving not accept any awards voted by the media this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, Irving’s former teammate, said using the term “pawns” was disrespectful.
“I think calling someone a pawn is a sure sign of disrespect, and I understand where Kyrie is coming from trying to improve the lives of various people, but I’m just not a divisive person,” Love told reporters.
Irving has a checkered history with the media. In 2019, he blasted speculation about a video that appeared to show him and Kevin Durant talking about free agency in the All-Star Game. Irving said the speculation was on “clicks” and suggested it was an invasion of his privacy.
In January, Irving also criticized the media’s reaction to comments he made in which he listed a handful of Nets players and said they needed help. He told reporters: “You are not in our locker room, stay out.”
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