“People Don’t Like That”: Kyrie Irving’s Godfather Details Why the Nets Star Faces Criticism

Published 11/13/2020, 6:30 AM EST

Kyrie Irving is undoubtedly one of the best players in the current era. The Brooklyn Nets star has a championship and several All-Star selections to back his talent. But over the years, people have resorted to villanizing Kyrie, and his godfather shared an explanation why.

“I know his cloth and Kyrie’s just different, right? He thinks different and I think people don’t like that,” Rod Strickland told Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on the ‘Heavy Live with Scoop B’ show.

“We live in a world now where everybody thinks if you say this and I’m supposed to go along with you and if I’m against that, then I’m wrong.

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“Kyrie’s different. You can just watch him play basketball and tell that he’s different. He thinks different, you know? You can’t do the things he does on the court without being creative, so his mind is different.”

Kyrie Irving has amassed numerous accomplishments, both on the court and off of it. However, certain groups of people tend to disagree with his judgments, and Rod Strickland is very much aware of it.

“It’s like you become successful and then it’s all this judgment and I don’t mean to say this in a wrong way but, you’re judged by people who haven’t accomplished what you accomplished,” he mentioned.

Strickland, a former NBA player himself, mentioned that is it “frustrating” when people pass unfair judgments on Kyrie Irving. Almost everything he does gets labeled the wrong way. Of course, Kyrie does not heed to any of it, but it might affect him at some point in time.

Kyrie Irving is world-class, but he needs to prove himself with the Brooklyn Nets

Kyrie Irving instantly announced his talent to the NBA upon being selected as the #1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Over the years, we’ve seen him evolve as a player and a leader. His most recent move to the Brooklyn Nets was nothing short of sensational.

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There’s a lot of expectations riding on the Nets for the 2021 season, especially on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Fans are yet to witness their pairing grace the NBA. We’re undoubtedly in for a treat when the season begins, but can they win a title?

That remains to be the most anticipated moment, as the Nets are touted as Eastern conference giants due to their spectacular signings. Kyrie is a terrific talent, and Rod Strickland put forth his views on the same:

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“If you’re talking about skill and talent, you have to tell me another player in NBA history who’s as skilled and talented as Kyrie is,” he mentioned.

Can Kyrie Irving rise above the hate and deliver an NBA championship with the Brooklyn Nets? Let us know in the comments!

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.

“People Don’t Like That”: Kyrie Irving’s Godfather Details Why the Nets Star Faces Criticism

Kyrie Irving is world-class, but he needs to prove himself with the Brooklyn Nets

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