Kyrie Irving Opens Up About His Absence From The Nets, Mental Health, And His Quest For ‘Balance’

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Steve Nash revealed today that Kyrie Irving practiced with the team for the first time in two weeks since using up his rollover vacation days from the last calendar year.

After losing $870,000 in fines and forfeited game checks from the now infamous maskless birthday party and Stephen A. Smith calling for him to retire a quarter of the way through his $137 million deal with the Nets, the 28-year-old is slated to take the floor Wednesday night against the Cavs.

Kyrie, who’s historically treated media like door-to-door vacuum salesmen, fielded questions Tuesday about the impetus for his absence, his current mindset, and finding a balance between basketball and “selfless service.”

Kyrie claims to have had conversations with each of his teammates about his absence before apologizing to the fans who were disappointed with the perceived betrayal.

Irving’s shouldered a massive philanthropic initiative throughout his career, almost entirely in secret, most recently buying the family of George Floyd a new home.

As he took the podium Tuesday, it became obvious that his aloofness and apathy at times for his role as a basketball player is the product of his calling to be of service elsewhere, with weightier issues than simply “a ball going in the rim.”

I told myself I wouldn’t drink all week, but Kyrie returning to action Wednesday is a good enough reason to pound four craft tall boys and a sleeve of Oreos. Glad to have you back, Kyrie.