NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 31: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center on January 31, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)Kyrie Irving has been away from the Brooklyn Nets for one week now, and there’s no sign of when the enigmatic point guard will be back.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith isn’t so sure that Irving should even come back at all. On “First Take” this morning, Smith advocated for Irving to step away from the game.
“Let me say this straight up and down: I think Kyrie Irving should retire. He should announce his retirement today,” Smith said.
According to Smith, while he admires Irving’s commitment to social justice issues and community involvement, his lack of dedication to his basketball career has been a detriment to his team, including fellow star Kevin Durant and first-year head coach Steve Nash.
“Kyrie Irving has not prioritized basketball, but I’m not saying he doesn’t want to play all together,” Smith said. “I’m saying he hasn’t prioritized it, and how fair was that to Brooklyn Nets?”
.@stephenasmith is calling for Kyrie Irving to retire. pic.twitter.com/04zqsudeNG
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 13, 2021
Irving sat out his fourth-straight game last night for personal reasons. While the Nets were beating the Denver Nuggets, the six-time All-Star was spotted at a virtual event for progressive Manhattan District Attorney candidate Tahanie Aboushi.
The Nets have already declared Irving out for tonight’s crosstown rivalry matchup with the New York Knicks.
