The Charlotte Hornets blew out the Brooklyn Nets 111-95 on Sunday. It was a stunning showing from both sides, given that the latter has widely been regarded as a championship favorite and the former has a reputation for being one of the NBA’s bottom-dweller teams.
While Brooklyn would go on to claim victory over the Washington Wizards one day later, a 2-2 record four games in speaks volumes. Clearly the Nets have some problems.
Following the Hornets loss, Durant was asked point blank whether the absence of teammate Kyrie Irving was weighing on the ballclub.
Durant offered up a rather blunt response.
“I mean while we playing in a game I’m not gonna sit there and say yo, we get down or its a tight game like ‘damn we don’t have enough.’ Like no, we’re not going to be thinking about that during the game,” he said. “We definitely want Kyrie Irving out here on the floor. And he’s a huge part of what we do.
“But it’s not happening right now so we gotta figure it out. But nobody is gonna lose confidence while we playing and hope Kyrie come and save us during the game.”
Irving is currently out of action over his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccination. New York mandates that athletes have at least one shot to participate in home games, and the Nets have refused to accommodate their guard with an away-only schedule.
This has ultimately led to the deterioration of Irving’s relationship with both the front office and his one-time good friend, Durant.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union clearly aren’t shy. https://t.co/XVprdKabks
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 26, 2021
Moreover, Irving is also facing some severe financial ramifications for his decision – and it may or may not have cost him a spot on the Top 75 Greatest NBA Players of All Time list.
Clearly Brooklyn needs Irving to win a championship in 2021-22. Will they ultimately get him back at any point? Time will tell.
Related: LeBron James’ Injury Status Ahead Of Looming Lakers Game
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
