For Kyrie, coming ‘home’ to Brooklyn is bridge to his past

It’s a homecoming for Kyrie Irving.

The New Jersey product, who grew up in West Orange and attended high schools in Montclair and Elizabeth, was a fan of the Nets from their former days at Continental Airlines Arena.

And in an Instagram post Monday announcing his intention to sign with Brooklyn, Irving reflected on watching the Nets in the NBA Finals as a kid, drawing inspiration from it to pursue his career.

But, more importantly, Irving wanted to play close to home after stints in Cleveland and Boston.

“In my heart I always wanted to play at home. Home is where my heart is,” Irving said in a video set to a Jay Z song and images of the Brooklyn Bridge. “And it’s always been there. Simply because there’s such a great love for my family and the way I grew up. I wouldn’t change anything about my journey at all. It brought me back here. And that’s home. Home is where my family is. Home is where I want my legacy to continue. I’m happy to be in Brooklyn.”

Irving agreed to a reported four-year, $142 million deal with the Nets that can become official July 6. He helped bring Kevin Durant to Brooklyn as well, spurning the Knicks, in the process.

Irving’s insistence on Brooklyn was a key to this coming together for the Nets. Reports suggested Durant was also open to the Knicks, but, in the end, never gave them a meeting.

Irving’s family still owns a home in West Orange.