Mavs' Kyrie Irving Says 'There Are Times That I Felt Really Disrespected' with Nets

Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving told reporters that he felt "really disrespected" at times during his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets, who traded the eight-time All-Star to the Mavs on Monday.

Irving played three-plus seasons in Brooklyn after signing with the Nets in free agency in July 2019.

It's unclear what Irving was referring to specifically, but he and the Nets clashed on multiple occasions.

Brooklyn benched Irving before the 2021-22 season because of his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. New York City's then-COVID-19 vaccine mandate prevented Irving from playing home games, but he still could have played in road games.

However, the Nets stated that Irving could not practice or play with the Nets until he was eligible to become a full participant.

The Nets changed course when they became significantly shorthanded because of injury or the league's health-and-safety protocols. He made his debut on Jan. 5, 2022 against the Indiana Pacers. Irving ultimately missed 53 of his team's 82 games in 2021-22.

Brooklyn then suspended Irving eight games this season after he promoted an antisemitic film on social media and refused to apologize for doing so or clearly denounce antisemitism.

More problems emerged of late amid the Nets' attempted contract extension negotiations with Irving. Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic explained the situation when reporting that Irving had requested a trade.

Essentially, the Nets wanted stipulations on the guarantee of the final year of the contract. Irving and his camp believed a player of his status shouldn't have a contract with stipulations. In addition, Irving reportedly had "principle differences" with the organization.

Irving's time with the Nets has now come to an end, and he joins a Dallas Mavericks team looking for its first NBA Finals berth since 2011. He'll team up with superstar Luka Doncic to form one of (if not the) NBA's best backcourts on a 29-26 team currently fifth in the Western Conference.