Star guard Kyrie Irving speaks for the first time since the Mavs trade

Irving said he wants to focus on what he can control and keep training in the gym. He said he plans to “come every single day and be consistent.”

DALLAS. For the first time since being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, All-Star defenseman Kyrie Irving spoke to the media about leaving Brooklyn, what he cares about most about Dallas, and why he recently deleted an Instagram post.

On Sunday, the Mavs traded for former Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving along with power forward Markieff Morris.

Irving spoke to the media on Tuesday, saying he feels “really needed” in Dallas and so far, “nothing but genuine love” has come from the organization.

“Hi Mr. Cuban,” said Irving. “Hello to the front office. Dallas organization. I stayed here for about 48 hours, a little more. It was nothing more than a warm hug. Nothing but true love.”

Dallas sent Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks to the Nets.

In 40 games for Brooklyn this season, Irving averaged 27.1 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 5.3 assists per game on 48.6 percent shooting from the field.

Irving, who grew up a fan of the New Jersey Nets, said he knew there would be speculation about why he requested a trade from the Nets.

In November 2022, Brooklyn banned Irving for free for eight games, and a day later Nike announced the end of their relationship with Irving, who was suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to “unequivocally state that he does not have anti-Semitic views”. convictions.”

While Irving said that what happened in Brooklyn was water under the bridge and that he wished the team well, he also said he felt disrespected by the organization.

“I just know that I want to be a place where I want to be celebrated and not just tolerated or treated in a way that doesn’t make me feel respected,” Irving said. “When things start to change and you don’t get openness and honesty from people in the front office or people around you, I don’t know who feels confident in that kind of environment.”

Following Irving’s suspension, he posted an apology to Jewish families and communities on Instagram. At some point this week, Irving deleted the post.

“Yes, I delete a lot from my Instagram,” Irving said on Tuesday. “I had things that had happened earlier in my life, maybe not as abrupt at the time, which led to a lot of confusion. What I meant and what I advocate. And I had to sit with these microphones and explain to the world who I am when I know who I am. That’s why I delete things all the time and it’s not disrespectful to anyone in the community. I’m just living my life.”

The Mavs consulted with Doncic before agreeing to a trade for Irving. Doncic currently has a five-year, $215 million contract that runs through the 2026-27 season.

Irving said he has not yet written or called Doncic because he wants to meet him in person for the first time. Irving also said that he is grateful for the opportunity to move on and that he wants to be calm when he comes to work.

Irving also said he wants to focus on what he can control and keep training in the gym. He said he plans to “come every single day and be consistent.”

“When things start to change and you don’t get openness and honesty from people in the front office or people around you, I don’t know who feels confident in that kind of environment,” Irving said.

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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