As we wait for the much-anticipated matchup Thursday night between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant both addressed the departure of their former teammate, James Harden following Tuesday night's victory over the Hornets.
Irving told reporters that while he thought things were going smoothly, everybody [Harden] had their own visions and goals at the beginning of the season. He also wishes that Harden would have communicated how he was feeling with the Nets organization in a more constructive way. Despite his complaints about how the trade went down, Irving says he still shares a great relationship with the 10-time All-Star and wishes him 'nothing but the best.'
"I thought we were in a good swing, but everybody has their own visions starting off seasons," Irving said. "Everybody has their own visions starting off their careers and ending their careers. If that's what James wanted, then I respect his decision and that's just what it is. I wish him nothing but peace and love. We have a great friendship, but it didn't work out. I wish things could have been communicated better for all of us as men, but hey, no hard feelings here with me or anyone else."
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As for Durant, he believes there was nothing that could've been said or done to convince Harden to stick around Brooklyn for the longterm.
"I don't know," Durant said. "When you look at it from his perspective, and you look up and Ky's not playing and then I'm injured, he hasn't won a championship before so he's looking at -- he's 32 years old, I guess, he's looking at himself, wanting to make a decision to get on a team that can kind of get into that contending, being one of the last teams standing."
Durant and Irving's comments on the Harden trade didn't overshadow what was a historic night for Irving, who dropped 50 points while shooting 78% from the field and hitting nine 3-pointers. His incredible efficiency against Charlotte etched his name in the NBA record books.
With Brooklyn preparing to make the short trip down I-95 to take on the Sixers Thursday night, unlike Durant, who views their reunion with Harden as 'just another game,' Irving seems excited to play in what is going to be a raucous environment at Wells Fargo Center.
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"It's fun," Irving said. "It's fun. It makes for good stories, it makes for good narratives. It makes for good buildup for our league. It's never too personal, but we understand that as competitors, we want to win the game. So go in there with a resolve, with a focus and just ready for whatever. We know the Philly crowd's going to be what it is.
"Everybody likes to build that up, but specifically for us it's not about any individual matchups. It's about us going in there and just being a great team and building on what we set out to do."
Irving was then asked specifically about what the atmosphere will be like in Philly, and in an obviously sarcastic tone, Irving said the environment will be 'lovely.'
Follow Jasper Jones on Twitter: @jonesj2342
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