Kyrie Irving has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way over the years, including fellow teammates and the media. Irving's feud with the media hit a climax this year as Irving decided that he would no longer be speaking to reporters during media availability. In the end, Irving went back on this promise and now, his relationship with the media appears to be on the mend.
While speaking to ESPN yesterday, Charles Barkley was asked about Kyrie's tactics and as you can see, Barkley doesn't really care for them. In fact, Barkley ripped the Nets superstar for trying to appear smarter than he really is.
“I’m not sure what point Kyrie is trying to make,” Barkley said. “And when he talks, I’m like, ‘What the hell is he trying — what is he saying or what is he trying to say?’ He starts talking about what an artist is. He’s a basketball player. That’s what he is. Listen, we’re not frontline responders. We’re not teachers. Yo, man, you dribble a basketball, stop acting like you’re the smartest person in the world.”
Barkley also spoke on Irving's social justice efforts and how he almost stopped players from coming into the bubble. In Barkley's eyes, Irving thinks he is the smartest person in the room, which Barkley feels is simply not true. These are some scathing remarks, which is nothing new from the likes of Sir Charles.
Per Barkley:
“Now can you talk about social issues and things like that? Of course. But some of this other stuff I’m like ‘Yo man, you do realize you’re just a basketball player, right?’ And it seems like he’s like, ‘No, I want you guys to realize I’m the smartest guy in the room.’ I’m like, ‘Well first of all, you’re not. You only went to college for six months. A lot of guys are smarter than you are. Just answer stupid basketball questions. And if you want to say something about social justice, say it and mean it, because it’s important and significant. But all that other stuff? Like, yo man, shut the hell up and talk basketball.’”
Regardless of what the Nets do out on the court this season, Kyrie will continue to have his critics, and it's only a matter of time before the media latches on to a new Irving-related scandal. As for Kyrie himself, he and Kevin Durant are currently focused on bringing a championship to Brooklyn.
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