Kyrie Irving Reflects on Nets Tenure with Kevin Durant: 'It Just Didn't Work Out'

While speaking to reporters for the first time since being acquired by the Dallas Mavericks, point guard Kyrie Irving reflected on his partnership with his former Brooklyn Nets teammate Kevin Durant.

"We just had goals together, and it wasn't just as a duo," Irving said Tuesday. "We were seeing ourselves as savants in the culture that we wanted to teach the young'uns, and if we got some young guys that were willing to sacrifice and buy into what we got going on, then we were gonna flourish, we felt. But it just didn't work out."

Irving went on to say that his relationship with Durant remains intact, but he indicated that he grew uncomfortable with his situation in Brooklyn.

"We still remain brothers, but it is a business at the end of the day as we always say, and I've got to look out for my family," he said. "And ultimately, I want to be at peace every time I come into work, rather than things hanging over my head or wondering what people think about me in the building or whether or not a report's gonna come out tomorrow that I don't talk to my teammates, which is untrue."

Irving added that he didn't believe he was treated fairly by the New York media, so he's looking forward to being far away from that market.

The 30-year-old has been a lightning rod for media attention from the moment he teamed up with Durant and signed with the Nets ahead of the 2019-20 season. However, it's nearly impossible to argue that spotlight wasn't warranted following Brooklyn's tumult off the court and failures on the court during Irving's tenure.

Irving missed most of last season because of his refusal to comply with New York City's vaccine mandates, and the Nets couldn't get into a rhythm before being swept out of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Earlier this season, he was suspended for eight games because of his failure to disavow antisemitism.

The Nets won just one playoff series while Durant and Irving were on the roster together. Both of them saw extended absences throughout their partnership, but Durant's stints on the sidelines were because of injuries, while Irving's were mostly for non-basketball reasons.

Now, Irving has the chance to form a new tandem with Mavericks star Luka Dončić. The duo will be looking to lead Dallas to its first trip to the NBA Finals since the franchise's 2011 championship win.