Kyrie Irving: “I don’t support going to Orlando. I’m not with this systematic racism and BS. Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day when we wake up.”
Jason McIntyre: “I don't think anyone disputes all of that, but I don’t totally understand where he’s coming from with the ‘I don’t support going to Orlando’… The biggest platform the players will have will be going to the Bubble and speaking up and protesting the racism. The NBA has a ‘no kneeling during the National Anthem’ rule that not even the NFL has. It’s going to be broken widely and nobody is going to care… The players are going to be hammering away social reform, how does Kyrie not understand that? By going to Orlando, you have the power and the platform. Why doesn’t Kyrie see that? BECAUSE HE'S NOT GOING TO BE PLAYING. He’s injured and is having surgery… This is why I’m calling Kyrie ‘selfish’. A week ago on the NBA Players Association’s conference call about restarting the season, Kyrie was on the call and didn’t ask about COVID, and didn’t ask about racism. Kyrie asked ‘I’m injured, does that mean I can count as one of the 35 people the Nets can bring? Can I sit in the stands and cheer on my teammates?’ A week ago he asked if he could use the sauna for rehab, and asked about ‘products’ for the players. According to a story from Woj, when asked about the Bubble, Kyrie asked if he could have an ‘adult beverage', and would it be provided by the league. These were his talking points a week ago and why I’m calling Kyrie Irving selfish… Then he finds out he can’t go, and he’s angry and wants to squash the whole thing… I’m sorry people don’t want to hear it but he’s jealous of LeBron James. This feels like a selfish move by Kyrie and I’m disgusted by it. Just because YOU won’t be there, don’t ruin it for everyone else who has the power and platform to do what is right in this country.” (Full Audio Segment Above)
Listen to Jason McIntyre explain why he doesn’t believe Kyrie Irving’s public gripes with the NBA’s plan to restart its season in Orlando has anything to do with COVID-19 or racial injustice.
Check out the revealing audio above as McIntyre details why the looming jealousy towards his former teammate LeBron James is the driving force behind Irving’s sudden opposition.