Kyrie Irving Says Playing for Nets Brewing Since 4th Grade After 50-Point Debut

Kyrie Irving's Brooklyn Nets debut Wednesday night included a 50-point housewarming gift from him to the fans at the Barclays Center.

The Nets lost in overtime 127-126 to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves despite Irving's record-breaking performance, but the 27-year-old guard reflected on the path he's taken to get to Brooklyn:

Irving grew up as a Nets fan while growing up in West Orange, New Jersey.

Irving then attended Duke for one year before the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him. The six-time All-Star played in Cleveland from 2011 to 2017, winning the 2016 NBA Finals. He was then traded in August 2017 to the Boston Celtics where he spent the last two seasons.

"Most of the time in my NBA career, I've had a sense of impatience at times," Irving added to reporters following Wednesday's regular-season opener. "You want things to be right there in front of you. Like I said, it's been eight years of being in different places. It's not about Boston. It's not about Cleveland. It's just about the experiences and lessons I learned from them."

Irving also said he feels "nothing but excited" and wants to "see it through" with the Nets. Prior to tip against the Timberwolves, an emotional Irving expressed gratitude for being able to come home:

Brooklyn signed Irving to a four-year, $141 million contract as well as Kevin Durant to a four-year, $164 million deal in July. Durant is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season while he continues to recover from an Achilles tear suffered in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

Irving showed with his 50-burger that he's up for the challenge of leading the Nets until then, and he nearly led them to their first win of the season at the buzzer:

Luckily for Irving and the Nets, 81 games remain.