Why I identify with Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving marches to the beat of his own drum. Not too many people in life can say that. That’s one of the reasons I gravitate to him. When Kyrie talks, I listen. He has that kind of effect on me. I view him as ‘more than an athlete.’ He’s a special kind of individual. And it’s not just because of his elite handles and must-see crossover. Or because of how he finishes in traffic and his prolific scoring prowess. Irving’s outspokenness is a gift and a curse for him, depends on who you ask. But regardless of his stance, or how his comments may land, I can always trust him to be his authentic self. If you know me personally, then you know why I like Kyrie. “I see myself in Kyrie Irving.” His unwillingness to “conform” to how society thinks he should behave, or answer questions, or what he should prioritize is something I can relate to. People will listen to Kyrie or myself, and say “they just want to be difficult,” or “they just like going against the grain.” That’s simply not true. I’ve always been an opinionated person. It didn’t matter if the topic was sports, politics, or anything else. If there was something to discuss you could count on me to be present to voice my opinion. Starting with his departure from the Cavs, Kyrie has become more vocal about his purpose not just as an NBA athlete, but also as a humanitarian. He recognizes the tremendous platform he amassed because of his talent to play basketball at the highest level, but he yearns for how he can maximize that platform to help uplift those individuals who aren’t fortunate enough to be in his position. No one in their right mind would ever question those intentions. But where Kyrie runs into issues with his audience is when he tries to act like he can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. It’s unrealistic to expect NBA media not to ask an NBA athlete about questions pertaining to their performance or their organization. “Basketball is just not the most important thing to me right now.” —(Kyrie Irving after the Nets defeated the Chicago Bulls 105-91 on Saturday) In fairness to Kyrie, he cited that the current affairs of the world where he sees people all over the world being dehumanized doesn’t sit well with him and he even alluded to the emotional toll it takes on him. As the playoffs are about to start and the NBA world turns its focus to who will be crowned champion in the coming months, basketball should be the number one priority for any active player on a playoff team. And if that’s not the case for Kyrie, then how do you expect people, whether it be fans, the media, or your employer —the Brooklyn Nets — to receive that information? It’s a rhetorical question, but is it? Ok. maybe that one was, but you get the point. The same way Kyrie feels a sense of commitment to aiding in the fight for disenfranchised and marginalized people, he should also feel a sense of commitment to his teammates as well. He’s capable of doing both. I’m hoping he honors his obligations on both fronts.
