Kyrie Irving spoke about his time with the Brooklyn Nets during his return visit with the Dallas Mavericks exactly one year after he was traded.
Irving said his motivation for asking the Nets to trade him was that “it was time to get my own peace of mind and go somewhere where I was able to thrive.”
Irving and the Nets had tepid extension talks shortly before he asked for a trade.
“I mean, I don’t want to get too deep into it because I love protecting the people that I’m in business with, even if it doesn’t work out,” Irving said. “Again, I wish all those guys well. But conversations that needed to be had weren’t had before the trade deadline, and I don’t know if anything needed to be salvaged.
“I just think it was time to get my own peace of mind and go somewhere where I was able to thrive, and be in a situation where I didn’t have to worry about kind of behind-the-back talk or the media talk or not knowing how to handle real-life circumstances that has nothing to do with the game of basketball. It has everything to do with how you handle someone as a person.
“While I was here, I learned a lot of lessons. I’ve made my peace again, like I said, and I just want to move forward.”
The Nets were considered favorites to win the 2021 Finals, but injuries to Irving and James Harden led to a seven-game loss in the second round to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Things could have changed, and you look back at the past and you have 20-20 vision — this could’ve gone right or if this would’ve happened,” Irving said. “If I didn’t get injured versus the Bucks, do I still ask for a trade? If KD’s foot wasn’t on the 3-point line, are we talking about a different legacy here? If James doesn’t ask for a trade … all the woulda, coulda, shoulda, wouldas, hopefully after this night, we can just put that to rest and just move forward and I can look forward to the rest of my career and just handle it in Dallas and going after my second championship.”