Shams: Nets have renewed optimism that Kyrie will play

[MGrand15]

Let's not rule out the possibility that this was fed to Shams to boost his trade value a bit. If we seem willing to play him half the games, teams can't offer us garbage.

[NetsWorld]

How do I know they stopped?

Because KD literally said so.



https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nets-kevin-durant-on-kyrie-irving-what-is-being-mad-going-to-do-youre-not-going-to-change-hismind/#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20%2D%2D%20Kevin%20Durant,be%20a%20part%2Dtime%20player.&text=%22Kyrie%20made%20his%20decision%20on,the%20team%20did%20the%20same

Its not a "clickbait" story. Its reporting that KD and Kyrie are in communication about coming back. How is that not a big deal?

We haven't heard that in months.

Just cause it doesn't give us a clear answer doesn't mean its useless. Its still good info

My hope is KD got his ass to commit fully to the Nets team so they can bring a damn ring to Brooklyn.

I dont think there was ever a time Kyrie wasn't fully committed to the Nets.

People see it as "just get the shot, you can play. your teammates did, why are you bailing on them?

When in reality its closer to...

Damn, i love basketball but i also value more then anything being true to myself and what i put in my body.

in other words. its like if your wife wanted you to pick her up from work and your daughter wanted you to pick her up from band practice, at the same time, on opposite ends of town. you want both, but you can only choose 1.

Prok, I get what you are saying but this fan base wants a ring; they were in prime position last year (pre injuries) and prior to the start of this season; we suffered enough and want to taste that gold. That's where the frustration came in, nothing personal against him.

[Pablo Escobar]

The other vaccines don't use animal material so why would the plant based vaccine all of a sudden be the one he will take? It's better to cut your losses with this headache and move on. Why do the nets have to bend over backwards to meet his demands? Be a professional, get vaccinated and join your "brothers" on the court to win a title.

[Prokorov]

The other vaccines don't use animal material so why would the plant based vaccine all of a sudden be the one he will take? It's better to cut your losses with this headache and move on. Why do the nets have to bend over backwards to meet his demands? Be a professional, get vaccinated and join your "brothers" on the court to win a title.

What "Demands"?

Kyrie has 0 demands that I am aware of. he made a personal health decision. he was willing to play every game the state and league allowed him to. when the nets said no, we didnt hear 1 peep about pushback or animosity and he even came out and said he has no ill will towards the team.

"Bend over backwards"?

In what way? allowing him to play the games he is eligible to play in. not much bend there. Its not like he is demanding money or playing time or more shots. its not like the nets need to sacrafice anything to let him play. they just need to step out of the way and he is back in the lineup.

Kyrie didnt start the pandemic, he is a victim of its constraints like all of us. For those untrusting over governments, and the large corporations that manufactor food and drugs, it can be put in a tough position. He has said and done all the right things for someone who chooses not to be vaccinated.

[Stone]

There is a lot of misinformation out there. We have heard HWSNBN say it's a person matter, and asked to respect his privacy.

IMO he is not the anti-vaxxer he is being portrayed as. The man has a ton of money and may have needed to hit the reset button. Take some time to be with his family and new baby, play touch football and go to some Seton Hall games and just enjoy life.

We heard recently he has been working out and now this news from Shams. If my crystal ball wasn't in the repair shop I bet it would say he will return to practice with the team sometime in January and return to action around the all star break.

[MrDollarBills]

The other vaccines don't use animal material so why would the plant based vaccine all of a sudden be the one he will take? It's better to cut your losses with this headache and move on. Why do the nets have to bend over backwards to meet his demands? Be a professional, get vaccinated and join your "brothers" on the court to win a title.

I think it's idiotic too but he hasn't really made any demands. He was willing to play on the road, Nets said no. the Nets cannot force him to take it and he's been docked all his pay from home games missed.

[MrDollarBills]

It's frustrating that a simple shot that is safe is holding this team and Kyrie himself back. If Kyrie would take the time to actually educate himself and speak with actual scientists, and with the Nets resources they could probably bring in the actual people who developed the vaccines, maybe he'd change his mind. For example:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kizzmekia_Corbett

^Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is a 35 year old immunologist that was just named one of Time Magazine's Heroes of the Year. Why?

She used MRNA technology to develop one of the first covid-19 vaccines. Anyone who has been immunized and protected by Moderna's vaccine has her to thank for it. I can't rave enough about how amazing she is. She has helped to save countless lives around the world and she has worked on outreach programs to help vaccine hesitant Black folks like Kyrie overcome unfounded fears and disinformation surrounding the vaccine.

If I were Sean Marks and Joe Tsai, I would at least try to get Kyrie's dumb ass to talk with her on a zoom call so she can break down everything to him in layman's terms. Maybe hearing first hand information from now only the person who developed the vaccine, but also is a highly accredited Black woman who is around his age, would make him change his mind. One thing that we do know about Kyrie is that women play a critical key in his life and he respects them tremendously, so I would think he'd actually give her his ear at the very least.

I think this is why getting Kyrie out of that echo chamber at home might really be the key to getting him to feel comfortable. The Nets have connects and resources, unless he's just belligerently ignorant to the point where he thinks he's smarter than an actual scientist who dedicated her life to her field, something like this would be worth a shot.

[ArksNetsSince99]

No story tbh , if anything it’s a leak to raise Kyries trade value

Imagine , we playing tough CF series against Miami or Bucks , we loose road game with Kyrie on the floor and then what ? We come back to Brk and planning for game 5 ( series tied 2-2) without Kyrie ? LOL
Thats not how organized sports teams work , I don’t believe it in this scenario

[sashaturiaf]

Color me skeptical on this one. It goes against everything sacred in team sports if you allow a guy to come in and play and miss games as he chooses.

If the team don't mind him playing away games only, I'd play him as a microwave scorer off the bench. It'd a slap in the face to the team and it's morale to treat him as anything more than that.

[Suwanee]

The only thing I could see is KD + Harden pushing the team to let him play road games.

I'm personally not getting my hopes up at all. Kyrie could get vaccinated today and I have no faith that he won't randomly disappear or get hurt to end the year. He's an amazing player but hes proven to be unreliable and not durable.

I’m not getting my hopes up either.

Also, if he plays, let it be all games. Please not this road games only BS.

I can handle road games only if its short term as he waits for some imminent plant vaccine or expected mandate changes.

Also, "only road games" sounds lame now... but when your down 2-0 in the playoffs headed to the other teams building, it all of a sudden doesnt sound so bad.

I highly doubt “only road games” happens. I mean, if the Nets were OK with that, he’d be playing road games from the start of the season. But Nets didn’t allow it. And what’s changed since then? Nothing.

[CalamityX12]

Someone on twitter brought up a good point: If Kyrie does happen to return even at least for road games, him being around the team and having them in his ear instead of the echo chamber that he has around him while being isolated could lead him to eventually caving in and getting the vaccine so that he can be available 100% for the playoffs.

And yes, you absolutely keep Bembry in the starting line up if Kyrie comes back.

Adding Kyrie and Harris to this mix will boost our offense from #12 to 6 or higher. Add that with our top 10 defense, and we're looking at a championship.

Kyrie doesn't come off as someone who caves in from what I've seen.

I'm more concerned what influences he would have on others rather the reverse

It's worth a try.

Also, the whole team is vaccinated. The worst fear I have is Kyrie actually getting sick and sparking an outbreak like we are seeing on the Bulls and Hornets.

Perhaps more reason we won't see him... obviously being vaccinated helps in preventing and surviving through breakthroughs. Despite the stupid rhetoric saying otherwise.

That said, breakthroughs are there. After so long, would Tsai and Marks approve bringing in a non vaxx player now during a season where rates are getting up?

[Suwanee]

“Renewed optimism” sounds to me that something has changed Kyrie’s mind. Either he isn’t very adamant on not taking the vaccine anymore or the plant based thing is coming soon.

If it’s just “road games only”, they know that option is always there from the start. There’s nothing to be “renewed”.

[CalamityX12]

No story tbh , if anything it’s a leak to raise Kyries trade value

Imagine , we playing tough CF series against Miami or Bucks , we loose road game with Kyrie on the floor and then what ? We come back to Brk and planning for game 5 ( series tied 2-2) without Kyrie ? LOL
Thats not how organized sports teams work , I don’t believe it in this scenario

TBH, the trade value was the first optic I thought of when this "rumor" came out .. probably just trying to drive up the value

[Suwanee]

No story tbh , if anything it’s a leak to raise Kyries trade value

Imagine , we playing tough CF series against Miami or Bucks , we loose road game with Kyrie on the floor and then what ? We come back to Brk and planning for game 5 ( series tied 2-2) without Kyrie ? LOL
Thats not how organized sports teams work , I don’t believe it in this scenario

TBH, the trade value was the first optic I thought of when this "rumor" came out .. probably just trying to drive up the value

That’s good news either way. My biggest fear was that he won’t play the entire year AND we can’t trade him because he’s sabotaged his trade value.

If you’re right that his team is trying to drive up the value, that means he won’t object to a trade. That’s music to my ears.

[GTR11]

Great news. Though I'm holding my optimism

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Word is that several states will join NY and Cali on vaccine mandatory.

[ecuhus1981]

I agree. This isn't nothing.

Shams is as good as it gets. Somebody from KD or Kyrie's camp has leaked this.

And if you look at social media its obvious KD/Kyrie are talking. Liking each others posts and stuff.

I always knew at some point Kyrie would want to come back.

KD and KAI are friends off the court. Why would KD suddenly stop liking his posts/stop talking to him?? I have friends and family who were unvaxxed for a long time and I'm still friends with them and talk to my family. Everything does not have to be related to basketball.

We all want Kyrie back but that doesn't mean we gotta delude ourselves over a clickbait story.

I guess I'm being a buzzkill debbie downer tho, so I'll keep my thoughts about this to myself going forward.

There is nothing clickbait about a Shams story...

and this was a Shams story. this isnt 1 quote from shams from someone elses podcast taken out of context

this was a story shams wrote himself, because he got vetted, sourced, info.

Shams is beyond reproach

All true, and Shams most defintely has received information from Sean&Co in the past. I believe this article is similarly sourced, someone within the front office wants to prepare for a strategic pivot. It doesn't really benefit HWSNBN's camp to attempt to leak this, and Shams would probably look to verify it with Marks anyway if it did.

Either way, it's good. Whether it's fruitful, we'll see.

[TheNetsFan]

The only reason I would be for him playing road games only would be to help get some more rest days for KD and Harden.

[GTR11]

The only reason I would be for him playing road games only would be to help get some more rest days for KD and Harden.

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Don't get surprised if that's for trade reasons. As I said, not holding my breath over Kyrie.

[GTR11]

Also before anyone say anything. I want Kyrie get back just like anyone else here. Get one shot JnJ and it's over.

I want to win. I don't want any bs

[HardenGoat]

Nah … he’s coming back. He had his time off which is what he needed. He also made his statement. There is no other team he would want to be traded to and he wants to play again. He made that known earlier. With the possibility of actually being traded Durant had a heart to heart talk with him and he has made his decision to play. That’s my gut feeling and I’am calling it now. Let’s Goooooooooo!