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Kyrie Irving declined to talk with newshounds after scoring 18 elements and meting out four assists for the Brooklyn Nets in a 119-114 rob over the Washington Wizards.
ESPN’s Malika Andrews reported after the game that Irving didn’t spend fragment in any press conferences or present a assertion to the media.
This comes after the six-time All-Superstar gave ready feedback in lieu of talking to newshounds on the Nets’ media day.
That led to separate $25,000 fines for Irving and the Nets. He spoke back by quoting Malcolm X on Instagram and writing he “[does] no longer seek advice from Pawns.”
Whereas Irving drew criticism for appearing to belittle participants of the media, The Undefeated’s Martenzie Johnson wrote how NBA stars can now form their possess story extra with out speak and can no longer feel as indebted to offering writers with any succor. At the side of that, Irving’s antipathy is no longer unwarranted to a pair degree:
“Avid gamers realized they didn’t want the media anymore. And would possibly maybe well maybe presumably you blame them? Diverse us abused the relative energy we had as purveyors of news. We called Durant ‘Mr. Unreliable.’ We became James true into a villain because he didn’t are seeking to play for Cavaliers proprietor Dan Gilbert anymore. We called Irving every four-letter word below the sun for questioning the circumference of Earth. Trolls on the online and followers in arenas did the linked ingredient, but we in the media are purported to be better than that. The highway between criticism and pure meanness changed into lengthy crossed.”
It is unclear how lengthy Irving intends to proceed his media blackout.
Whereas right here is handiest the preseason, followers doubtlessly would’ve loved to hear from the 28-365 days-outdated after he stepped onto the court for the most basic time since February. The truth that he and Durant combined for 33 elements in 41 minutes is encouraging as Brooklyn appears to be like to be like to pork up upon a seventh-place enact in 2019-20.
A $25,000 magnificent on its possess is a tumble in the bucket for a participant who’s making $33.3 million this season. That money will originate to add up, though, if Irving remains quiet into the humble season, which begins Dec. 22 for Brooklyn against the Golden Yell Warriors.
