Kyrie Irving Happy He Left Brooklyn Nets, Explains Why Things Didn’t Work Out

• Kyrie Irving has said he has no regrets about leaving the Brooklyn Nets
• Speaking ahead of the All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, the 30-year-old is happy about how things turned out
• The 2016 NBA champion abruptly requested a trade and was moved to the Dallas Mavericks a few days later

Kyrie Irving is four games into his Dallas Mavericks career following the blockbuster trade that saw him leave the Brooklyn Nets.

The 30-year-old revealed that he has no regrets about leaving Brooklyn. Earlier, the guard said he felt disrespected by his former team in a turbulent three-and-a-half-year spell.

Irving and Durant teamed up in Brooklyn in 2019, but both players have since left the team. Their dream of winning a championship together did not come true, making their era one of the biggest what-ifs in the history of the NBA.

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn lauds Kyrie Irving after exit from Brooklyn Nets

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Irving's time in Brooklyn was particularly tumultuous. The eight-time All-Star requested a trade ahead of the February 9th trade deadline despite having the team playing with confidence.

He played just 29 games last season for refusing to comply with a New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandate. This season, he was suspended in November for a minimum of five games without pay after sharing a documentary with anti-Semitic themes.

Irving on his time in Brooklyn

Speaking in Salt Lake City ahead of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, Irving said he has no regrets about his departure from the Nets.

The 2016 NBA champion is settling in Dallas alongside Luka Doncic and is fully content with how everything turned out.

No regrets," said Irving at NBA All-Star Media Day. "I had a plan in place where I wanted to stay in Brooklyn long term, be a Net. It was a dream come true for me....I'm grateful to all the people I met throughout the whole entire organization. But I have no regrets...I wish things could have worked out for the best of all of us in terms of winning a championship and etching our names into history of the NBA," via SI.

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd sends warning to NBA teams after Kyrie Irving trade

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The 3x All NBA played just 143 games in three-and-a-half seasons with the Nets. He averaged 27.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in 35.8 minutes per game.

Doncic on playing with Irving

Sports Brief earlier reported on Doncic explaining how he would play alongside Irving, who signed from the Nets a week ago.

He acknowledged he has never played with a ball-dominant player like the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard but is ready to play off the ball to accommodate him.

Doncic heaped praise on Irving, calling him the best ballhandler in the sport. However, the two stars are clearly learning to play together.