After missing the past seven games due to “personal reasons,” Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving was back on the court Wednesday night. It just so happens that his return to the hardwood coincided with a road game against the veteran’s former Cleveland Cavaliers team.
As you likely already know, Irving and the Cavaliers did not part on the best of notes following the 2016-17 season when he requested a trade — primarily due to issues with then-teammate LeBron James.
In making his return to Cleveland, Irving was met with a pretty big surprise. That included the Cavaliers playing a video montage.
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Cleveland Cavaliers honor Kyrie Irving with video
This certain video had been years in the making. However, due to both logistical concerns and obvious issues between Irving and his former team, it had yet to be played.
Irving enjoyed a tremendous amount of success during the latter years of his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers after they made him the first overall pick in 2011. That included him helping lead the organization to its first ever NBA title following the 2015-16 season.
Since then, most of the talk surrounding Kyrie Irving has dealt with his enigmatic personality as well as drama-filled stints in both Boston and Brooklyn.
Irving also makes his return with three-time reigning NBA scoring champion James Harden three games into his stint with the Brooklyn Nets. The team traded for Harden a week ago Wednesday while Irving was still away for personal reasons.
It will be interesting to see how the remainder of the season plays out in the Big Apple now that the Nets have a big three in Irving, Harden and top NBA MVP candidate Kevin Durant.