By Shaniece Nicole (@ShanieceNicole)
LOS ANGELES, CA – Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving was suspended indefinitely after what could’ve been interpreted or misinterpreted as an anti-semantic, yet intentional, social media post. The Instagram post was part of a story that included a link to “Hebrews to Negros: Wake Up Black America,” a film that is allegedly propelled by anti-semantic tropes. On Oct. 29, after a loss to the Indiana Pacers, Irving doubled down on his support of the film and added that “history is not supposed to be hidden from anybody.”
Although Irving did eventually apologize and insist that he did not mean to cause any harm and that he was not the one who made the documentary, his fiery personality and unwavering intentions have left his teammate and fellow All-Star Kevin Durant without the running mate he lobbied to play with in 2019.
Irving has been known to take breaks from the Nets in the past, so this is familiar territory for the former league MVP. Since Irving’s suspension, without a confirmed timeline for his return, Durant has averaged over 25 points per game.
One of the more impressive performances for KD was his triple-double of 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists against his crosstown rival the New York Knicks this past week. Heading into Los Angeles with some momentum to compete against a lifeless Laker team and a potential contender in the Clippers who are missing their perennial All-Star in Kawhi Leonard, is an ideal situation for a Nets team awaiting the return of their star point guard.
Even without Irving, Durant looked every bit of being an elite superstar scoring a game-high 27 points on an efficient 10/16 clip in the 110-95 victory over the Clippers.
While that was certainly important in Brooklyn’s victory, the 12-time All-Star appears to be having fun on the court again. Durant will not woo you with his political views or be at the forefront of every NBA moment, but he is a true hooper who simply loves playing basketball.
“I enjoy playing in the NBA. It is simple to get to work every day,” Durant stated when he was asked how he’s dealt with the ups and downs of the season.
Mastering neutrality while playing with a player like Irving must have been on Durant’s bucket list. However, there is some truth to this statement. KD looks forward to going to work every day.
Despite the fact that the team is dealing with internal conflict with Irving, the players appear to be happier than ever. The ongoing issue with Irving has not affected the team’s morale or his relationship with Durant.
They are 4-1 since Irving’s suspension and have found assistance in players like Seth Curry, who had 14 of his 22 points in the final period and Nic Claxton who had a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
“Hopefully this stuff is over with. We can move past it and get him back on the court soon,” Durant told the media.
He appears to have found peace in knowing that this team may never be the dynamic duo that they were destined to be, with or without Irving.
