Kyrie Irving made headlines yesterday as it was revealed that he was leading a group of players who are opposed to returning to the NBA next month in Orlando. Last night, Irving held a Zoom call with about 200 players where he reportedly tried to give them a platform to speak up against what the league is doing. In addition to not being happy about the conditions in Orlando, Kyrie is also displeased with the fact that the league is asking players to come back in the midst of protests against racial inequality.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving had a particularly interesting quote in which he said: "I don’t support going into Orlando. I’m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. Something smells a little fishy."
https://twitter.com/_/status/1271619327079448578
While Irving's sentiments are certainly shared by some players, it's interesting to note that Irving is currently injured and there is no guarantee that he would even be able to come back and play. This fact has led some fans to think that he is only making these arguments because he knows his Brooklyn Nets have no chance at a title.
At this point, the NBA is going to have a lot of explaining to do if they want to appease their players. Over the coming weeks, this story could develop into something massive and the return of the NBA season now hangs in the balance.
