1x All-Star Blames Kyrie Irving’s Controversial Past For His Snub From the Olympics Squad

With the Olympics just around the corner, USA Basketball released its final list of players for the Paris edition of the event. While players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant were obvious choices, many “deserving” players didn’t make the cut. Kyrie Irving was a prominent star who didn’t make the roster, and many people are calling it a bad “snubbing,” a decision that USA Basketball will come to regret.

Former All-Star Kenyon Martin thinks otherwise. The veteran forward believes that Kyrie’s snubbing has more to do with the “brand of USA basketball” than any other factor. Irving doesn’t fit that brand and Martin doesn’t think it’s an unfair criterion for his omission from the team. Appearing on the popular hoop podcast “Gil’s Arena,” the Denver legend provided further reasoning for Irving’s snubbing,

” It’s not about the team he played for, it ain’t about the NBA, it’s about the brand of the USA basketball. That’s all it’s about. They don’t want to do anything to tarnish that.” 

It is important to note that, unlike the NBA, the Olympics have a wide representation of athletes from different nationalities, holding varied beliefs. The Olympics is a stage for countries to showcase their best athletic talent, and the possibility of Irving causing a ” controversy” is reason enough for Martin to keep the Dallas guard off the national team.

Some might argue that picking Kobe for the “Redeem-Team Olympics”[ Beijing, 2008] was suicide too, as Kobe was known for his locker room drama. Well, Martin didn’t think there were any comparisons between Kobe’s situation and Kyrie’s. The 46-year-old mentioned that Bryant wasn’t commenting on anything outside basketball, as things like religion and personal beliefs weren’t on Kobe’s list of controversies. On the flip side, Kyrie’s erratic behavior makes the star a “liability” for the Olympic team, as the Dallas star has a history of making controversial comments on sensitive topics like race and religion.

Kyrie Irving thinks he is a Top 75 player

The NBA celebrated 75 years in business back in 2021. To commemorate the auspicious occasion, the NBA released a list of its Top 75 Players of All Time. When the list dropped, a few omissions definitely raised eyebrows, as players like Dwight Howard, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving didn’t make the cut. While appearing on the “ETC’s Podcast” back in 2022, Irving was asked about his[ NBA 75] snubbing, which he casually brushed aside while commenting that,

” I don’t mind it. Because along the way I’m going to find my authentic community that accepts me for my greatness. I feel like I represent the mastery of basketball. I feel like I deserved to be on that Top 75 list. And simply because I’m part of a revolution of this game.”

While Irving might be dismissive about his omission from the NBA 75 list, most basketball fans know that Irving deserved a spot on it. But it’s hard to root for the 6’2 guard, with his off-court activities having become a real cause for concern. From making anti-Semitic remarks to peddling anti-vaccine propaganda, there is a list of things that Irving previously embarked on that could have caused the ballot holders[ the NBA 75 list] to shy away from voting for him. From the looks of it, Irving will continue to be “himself,” as the Dallas star is hopeful that his basketball will do the talking when it comes to judging his legacy in the annals of basketball history.