What the rest of the Nets are saying about Kyrie Irving

The Brooklyn Nets are telling Kyrie Irving to get vaccinated or stay away from the team. Here’s what his teammates are saying about it.

The Kyrie Irving saga is still the biggest story surrounding the Brooklyn Nets for the umpteenth day in a row. We still have not heard from Irving directly, but his message was leaked through a report in The Athletic.

Although Kyrie claims to be a “voice for the voiceless,” he hasn’t spoken publicly about anything going on. Instead, his teammates and coaches are bearing the brunt of it.

Players and coaches are probably tired of answering questions about it. Regardless, they were asked about Irving’s indefinite absence from the team. Here is what his teammates and head coach have to say about the current situation:

Steve Nash

Steve Nash on Kyrie Irving:

"It's not easy, but I support the decision. If things change, we'd love to have Kyrie back" pic.twitter.com/ztu6DsLcds

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) October 13, 2021

“I support the decision,” Nets coach Steve Nash said in regards to Brooklyn’s decision to ban Irving from all practices and away games.

“A lot went into it. It’s not easy. We discussed all the possibilities and all the things that are going on. I support the decision and if things change, we’d love to have Kyrie back. In the meantime, we’ll keep, keep growing with this group, and move forward.”

James Harden

"We just gotta focus on the guys in this locker room that are here…that's all we can control"

James Harden on Kyrie Irving not being with the Nets: pic.twitter.com/wXCCDv8qjj

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) October 13, 2021

“I think for us we’ve just gotta focus on the guys in this locker room that’s here and putting in the work every single day,” James Harden said. “That’s all we can control. That’s all we can focus on. Every single day it’s already a struggle. It’s already difficult just because we’re trying to catch up and put it together.”

Harden also added that he has yet to speak to Irving about the organization’s decision.

Bruce Brown

Bruce Brown on stepping up in Kyrie Irving's absence:

"I'll try. Next man up, I'll try to do a little more" pic.twitter.com/aiE4jjShrr

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) October 13, 2021

“I’ll try,” Bruce Brown said about filling Irving’s shoes. “Kai does a lot for us. Next man up, I’ll try to do a little more if the team needs me to do that, but I guess I’ll just play my role.”

Reading Between the Lines

It’s tough to suss out exactly how the Nets are feeling during this ongoing Kyrie Irving melodrama. No one is publicly throwing him under the bus. Additionally, there haven’t been any leaked reports of frustration with Irving in the locker room. There might be, but Irving’s teammates have had his back for the most part.

Despite having his back, it’s clear that the Nets are ready to move on without Irving for the foreseeable future. Multiple outlets have reported that Kevin Durant and Harden were consulted by management on this decision.

We can’t know exactly what was said behind closed doors, but both Durant and Harden seem intent on pushing forward and focusing on the upcoming season.