© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving believes the 2021 Brooklyn Nets would have been NBA champions had Giannis Antetokounmpo not stepped on his foot
As brilliant a basketball player as Kyrie Irving is, he’s always been a magnet for controversy. On Tuesday, the All-Star stirred the pot once again, asserting that he and the Brooklyn Nets would have been the 2021 NBA champions had he not injured his ankle in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Ankle sprain
The injury occurred at the midway point of the second quarter. As Kyrie was going up for a shot, he landed on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s foot, causing his ankle to sprain. Kyrie was forced to leave the game and did not return. He later missed the remainder of the series as well, as the Bucks went on to beat the Nets in seven games before winning the NBA title with a Finals win against the Phoenix Suns.
It’s been several years since that incident, but apparently, Kyrie still harbors some bitterness at that turn of events. He responded to a thread on Twitter, describing that incident as both “disappointing and painful.”
“One of the most disappointing and painful moments of career,” wrote Kyrie. “If I don’t get hurt that series, every single one of us on that Brooklyn team/bandwagon would be Champions. No fuc*ing doubt about it.”
Kyrie implies it’s Giannis’ fault
The next season, Kyrie was talking about their postseason failure when he implied that Giannis was at fault for his ankle injury.
“And then I’m going up for a shot, and Giannis comes over, and his foot,” Irving said while using his fingers to make air quotes, “just happens to be in the way.”
That stacked Nets team soon disbanded one by one as James Harden got traded to the Sixers. This season, Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, while Kevin Durant was sent to the Phoenix Suns.
