Monday, November 21, 2022
Kyrie’s Return Looms, But What About Retirement?
It is without debate that when on the court and available to play, Kyrie Irving is one of the top talents in the NBA. However Irving's reputation and motive to play basketball in a professional uniform has been questioned by many and for good reason. While the superstar has already cemented his place in NBA history, the fact of the matter is Irving should strongly consider moving on from basketball and pursue his other interests.
With that said, it's fair to argue if Irving's tenure in the NBA is coming to an end quicker than some may think. I'm here to say it is and that Irving retiring after this season is his best bet to save his reputation and career.
Coming into this season, the Nets were easily a clear favorite to make a run in the Eastern Conference and possibly contend for a title. While all this is still possible, Irving's personal decisions off the court have been a roadblock for the Brooklyn Nets championship aspirations. Though the firing of head coach Steve Nash has largely shook the organization to its core, Irving's ongoing suspension saga in a Nets uniform has only magnified the larger issue at hand. It's not everyday as a sports fans we talk about players missing games due to personal matters concerned with race and matters of health.
However, most Brooklyn Nets fans can recall Irving's extended period time off last year where he was suspended for not taking the COVID-19 vaccination. Yes that was a personal decision, but in the end what he believed to be true and right took precedence over winning and leading his team to a title. Though his suspension is much shorter this season and pertaining to a completely different issue, the Nets organization is already in worse shambles than it was at this time last year.
Irving is expected to rejoin the Nets on Sunday, but it remains to be seen how many problems will linger for the former NBA champion. The Nets are currently 11th in the Eastern Conference and their decline has obviously come from Irving's sudden departure. But how long can Irving really keep this up for. As fans, we love to see great athletes who not only perform on the court, but are good role models off the court.
For Irving, only one of those attributes is true and as long as we think about the great player he is, the issues that keep him off the court will remain at the forefront of our minds. Not the 50-point games he wowed the whole world with night in and night out. His career as a basketball player has been overshadowed by his actions and the consequences that ensue.
Irving's time in the league may be nowhere near done, but if he wants to eliminate all his problems from being suspended and heavily criticized, the best thing he could do is retire and keep his legacy in decent standing. Only time will tell what happens with Irving, but he's a ticking time bomb and until we see different behavior, breaking news of his retirement is the only positive news we can hope for at this point.