Nets' Joe Harris: Kyrie Irving Narrative in Media Is 'Taken out of Context'

Brooklyn Nets sharp-shooter Joe Harris takes issue with the narratives surrounding teammate Kyrie Irving. 

During an interview with Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney of CBS Sports (h/t Nets Daily), Harris called the point guard a "great dude, great teammate" and praised his work ethic. He also responded to the notion Irving forced his way out when he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics and said that is not who Irving actually is behind closed doors.

"I think a lot of times a lot of things that he's done has just sort of been taken out of context a little bit," Harris said. "Behind closed doors, he really is a real consistent guy. He comes in, he busts his tail every day, he competes every day in practice."

It is safe to say Irving has something of a strained relationship with the media.

The NBA's players are required to talk to reporters at the start of training camp, but he chose not to this year. Instead, he released a statement to "ensure that my message is conveyed properly" in which he said he would "let my work on and off the court speak for itself."

He was fined $25,000 for circumventing media rules.

After he was fined, Irving posted a statement saying, "I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more."

That Harris said some of the issues at Irving's previous stops were taken out of context is notable. The Duke product did not win a championship during his time with the Celtics or even reach the NBA Finals despite playing with a talented team.

Things seemed to fall apart, and ESPN's Jackie MacMullan reported teammates were often "treading lightly" due to his "mood swings." Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix also reported on Fox Sports Radio in June 2019 (via MassLive.com) that Irving's relationship with the younger players on the Celtics was "awful."

Despite any past issues, Irving and the Nets are on the shortlist of championship contenders this season. While they are just 2-2 in the early going, the combination of Irving and Kevin Durant is about as good as it gets in the NBA.

The point guard has appeared in three of his team's four games and is averaging 29.3 points, 6.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds a night while shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 56.0 percent from three-point range.