NBA Twitter sounds off on Kyrie Irving amid reported trade request originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
It was only a matter of time.
The Brooklyn Nets looked like a legitimate contender in late December after winning 12 straight games with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant leading the charge. Then Durant got hurt in early January … and Kyrie reverted back to being Kyrie.
Irving requested a trade from the Nets on Friday, per multiple reports. The All-Star guard reportedly informed Brooklyn he’d leave in 2023 free agency this summer if the team can’t deal him prior to the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline.
Irving’s reported request is a massive development less than a week before the deadline — but perhaps not a surprising one for fans of the Boston Celtics, who witnessed Kyrie bail on their team in similar fashion just four years ago.
NBA Twitter — especially Celtics Twitter — was quick to pile on Irving on Friday as he disrupted another franchise:
The rest of social media also chimed in with plenty of jokes at Kyrie’s expense while speculating about Irving reuniting with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers — a scenario that reportedly gained traction prior to the season.
While the idea of an Irving trade is entertaining, it’s hard to imagine a team giving up prime assets to take on a player who’s making $37 million this season and has already left on acrimonious terms with two franchises.
It appears the Nets are about to be the third — and many fans can’t say they’re surprised.
