The Brooklyn Nets are celebrating the acquisition of James Harden but they're still without their superstar guard Kyrie Irving as he remains absent from the team. While "personal reasons" was listed as the cause for his absence, he was recently seen partying with family members.
Like many sports commentators, ESPN's Jackie MacMullan gave her thoughts on Kyrie's recent behavior during an appearance on The Ryen Russillo Podcast. As a longtime sports journalist in the Boston area, MacMullan covered Kyrie Irving during his time with the Celtics and recalled an argument she had with him where she expressed her belief that players are property to NBA owners.
"So I will tell you this, I was thinking of all the conversations I've had with Kyrie through the years," MacMullan said. "One of them I had -- I don't know -- two years ago, we got into an argument about, you know, something. And he's like, ‘Well there shouldn't be an NBA draft. Players should be able to go wherever they want to go. We're not, you know, someone's property.' And I'm like, 'Yeah you are, dude. That's the way it works. That's why you get paid all these millions.'"
She continued by transitioning back to Kyrie's absence and expressed her belief that the six-time All-Star has been deeply affected by the attack on the Capitol and the Jacob Blake shooting.
"I genuinely think those things affected him, they bothered him," MacMullan continued. "He felt like we are not putting importance where it belongs. These things are more important."
However, many have taken issue with MacMullan referring to Kyrie and other NBA players as property. Ryen Russillo also faced backlash for not asking her to clarify her statements.
Click above to hear Jackie MacMullan's remarks.
