The Whiteboard: Kyrie Irving’s reputation distracts from a thoughtful message

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Kyrie Irving is many things, but unintelligent is not one of them.

A source of constant controversy? Yes. A polarizing figure, for the merit of his on-court accomplishments and his off-court persona alike? Of course. But dense or dim-witted? Certainly not.

The Brooklyn Nets star point guard is no stranger to being a source of debate. There was the time he said the earth was flat, then tried to flip it as a “media will run with anything” teaching moment, then doubled back down on his scientifically ignorant stance by saying he “wasn’t sure.”

Before that, when he demanded a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers one year after winning a championship, he was mocked on one side for leaving a title team that he repeatedly failed to get off the ground before LeBron James’ return but lauded on the other side for doing what “old-school” greats would do — branching out to try and lead his own team to playoff success.

Throughout his tenure with the Boston Celtics and Nets, he constantly raised headlines in stories peppered with candid locker room comments, how he went back on his pre-season word that he’d re-sign with the Celtics, how he wasn’t a good leader and how still isn’t a true winner despite helping bring Cleveland its first NBA title with one of the most clutch shots in Finals history.

So when Irving once again entered the news cycle over the NBA’s plans to restart the season, it was only natural to wonder what kind of ruckus he was going to stir up this time.

The thing is, Kyrie Irving is absolutely right. In fact, he’s doing what National Basketball Players Association president Chris Paul should be doing: giving the hesitant players the encouragement to voice their concerns, without backlash, over these return-to-play plans. Elaborate and thorough as these plans now seem, his and Avery Bradley’s coalition that’s eager to hear the league’s plans for issues of importance to the Black community is equally important. He’s used to being vilified by the media and the public at large, and he had no problem stepping in to “be the bad guy” or ” the disruptor” again when it had to be done.

Players have every right to be concerned. If they play, they’ll be putting themselves and possibly even family members at risk with a virus that we currently know nothing about in regards to its possible long-term effects. If they don’t play, even if they’re not “punished” by the league, they’ll be chastised by members of a selfish public for not providing everyone with a distraction.

And that’s just on the COVID-19 front, saying nothing of the Black Lives Matter movement and the battle for social justice that has swept the nation in one of its darkest hours. As a Black man in a predominantly Black league, Irving is asking the question that needs to be asked, even to a league that’s viewed as far more progressive than its decades-behind counterparts in U.S. sports: What are you going to do with your platform to help in the fight for equality?

The problem is, Irving has become such a polarizing and misunderstood figure that every word he says is going to incite debate of some sort. The players who believe this country needs to see these problems without the distraction of sports are correct. So are the players who want to take this platform, with the entire world will be watching in a time devoid of sports, and turn it into a powerful moment where they can truly make a difference for BLM.

The players who are hesitant to return because of coronavirus concerns have a right to voice their fears with the league’s bubble plans; so too do the players who still want to play, given that they’re less well off financially compared to someone like Irving (who was on the books for $31.7 million this season) and recognize the current CBA will be kaput if the season is cancelled.

And therein lies the rub: Nobody here is “wrong.” Whether they’re true or not, stories like Tuesday’s report that Irving called for the players to start their own league in a Nets group chat (which was later refuted by reporters and Nets players alike) do him no favors in the public eye, further blurring what should be a poignant opinion simply because of the source.

One Western Conference player said it best, telling ESPN, “I’m not as interested in him as the messenger than I am in the message.”

It’s easy to dismiss Kyrie Irving as a flat-earth truther, failed locker room leader, attempted NBA seceder, basketball player who won’t actually be playing in Orlando due to injury or perpetual pain in LeBron’s ass. But as always with this star point guard, it’s important to take his point at its base value rather than the confounding nature in which it’s presented and sometimes distorted.

Because at its core, Irving’s overarching point is right: Media coverage isn’t enough, and the NBA needs to have a concrete plan to strengthen the Black Lives Matter movement and contribute to America’s ongoing battle for social justice. For all the consternation over what kind of on-court leader Kyrie is, the NBPA vice president is currently showing the kind of off-court leadership he’s really capable of. Debate is only natural in conversations like this, but hopefully people will start addressing the message and not the messenger.

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