Ky seemingly teases comeback by lacing up sneakers in Instagram vid
Could Kyrie Irving be teasing a return to the court?
First came media suggestions that teams were calling the Nets about Irving. Then followed reports of he and Kevin Durant breaking down games together, offering “renewed optimism” Irving might return this season.
“We’ll see. I don’t know,” Durant said after the Nets’ 131-129 overtime win over the Raptors. “I mean, of course, Kyrie is my brother and we talk about everything. So I’d rather keep those conversations in house, though.”
Irving fanned those flames himself Tuesday, in typical Irving style: Vaguely, and on social media when he shared a video to his Instagram story showing him putting on a pair of his own black-andwhite Kyrie sneakers.
He appeared to be in a locker room or weight room, but a source confirmed it wasn’t HSS Training Center, and Steve Nash answered a Post question on the topic by saying he had no new information or inkling about whether Irving was any closer to returning.
“I haven’t and I have no updates,” Nash said. “I have connected with him, but totally outside of the scope of the question and just [about] life in general. So, we connected last week, but not with any intel or insight that things are changing.
“I know he’s working out and I know he’d love to be playing. But I think the boundaries are still the same as they were before recent reports.”
It was the first time Nash (or anybody with the Nets front office) had even confirmed Irving was working out.
Still, the cryptic clip fired up NBA fans on social media, who made the leap from Irving putting on shoes to finally lacing up for a real game. He has been out all season due to his refusal to take a COVID vaccine.
According to New York mandates, players have to have at least one dose of vaccine to play at either Barclays Center or the Garden. With cases rising and the Omicron variant spreading, those mandates are going to get even more stringent, with two doses being required after Dec. 27.
As it stands, the Nets came into Tuesday’s game versus Toronto sporting a 19-8 mark and holding a two-game lead over both Milwaukee and Chicago atop the Eastern Conference. And that’s with Irving not having played a second.
Everybody with the Nets has stated they want Irving back as soon as possible, from Durant to Nash to team owner Joe Tsai, who ultimately made the call (along with GM Sean Marks) not to let the star guard be a parttime player on the road.
On Monday, The Athletic had reported that there is “renewed optimism” that Irving could return at some point this season. The report offered no clarity on whether that was through vaccination, an easing of the mandates, or the Nets allowing him to play just road games.
On Nov. 26, Bleacher Report had opined that the Mavericks could be a good trade partner in an IrvingKristaps Porzingis swap. SNY reported that Dallas was among the teams to reach out to Brooklyn; but Mavs owner Mark Cuban talked to Substack and refuted the claim, insisting no talks had taken place about Irving.