Kyrie Irving’s absence remains a mystery

The Brooklyn Nets have endured a significant amount of turmoil over the first few weeks of the season. First, Spencer Dinwiddie went down with an ACL tear in the third game of the season. Then Kevin Durant, returning from an Achilles injury, was force to miss time due to Covid-19 protocols. Now the mysterious continued absence of Kyrie Irving has people puzzled.

Reportedly, there is “real concern” throughout the NBA about the status of the six-time NBA All-Star, who is away from the team due to personal reasons. It has been reported by Joe Vardon of The Athletic that “few people inside the NBA know what’s going on with Irving” and at this time, his return is up in the air.

When or if Kyrie Irving does decide to return, he will likely have to quarantine and be penalized after a video showed Irving at a party without a mask. That is in clear violation to the NBA’s Covid-19 protocols.  The NBA specifically states in their protocols that players must wear a mask in public and not to go to public gatherings or bars.

Stephen A. Smith, ESPN host, has indicated that Irving should retire since he simply doesn’t want to play badly enough, that he hasn’t prioritized basketball enough in his life.  Whatever the case may be, Irving clearly seems to be unhappy on the court, if you’ve witnessed his constant complaining during games. Seemingly, from my perspective, Kyrie Irving is fine if he gets his own way on the court. When he doesn’t, that’s another story altogether. In any event, the Nets have stay afloat despite their early season issues. They are 6-6 and just two games out in the Atlantic Division.  Another thing is certain. The Brooklyn Nets will have an increasingly difficult time to stay close to the Celtics in 76ers the longer that Irving and his 27 points per game are out of the lineup.

Whether or not Kyrie Irving returns remains a mystery in which no one knows the conclusion, perhaps not even Irving himself.