Former NBA player turned ESPN analyst Jalen Green confesses to his mistake of voting for Kyrie Irving in the All NBA Third Team.
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There is no denying that Kyrie Irving is one of the most skilled players to ever step on the hardwood. The former champion is a magician when it comes to handling the ball. There is nothing that Irving can’t do on the court, whether it’s shooting the ball or finishing at the rim.
However, Uncle Drew’s off-court demeanor and unprofessional behavior make him a constant in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Irving’s recent anti-vaccination controversy was nothing like we’d ever seen. The Nets guard was ready to sacrifice a season that could have won him a championship.
Fortunately for Irving, everything went panned out his way. Beginning with the Nets allowing him to participate as a part-time player, followed by the NY mayor reversing the faulty mandate. Nevertheless, it was too late for the Nets to form chemistry within the roster.
During a recent episode of ESPN’s NBA Countdown, former 6th MOY Jalen Rose admitted to having voted for Irving on the All NBA Third Team.
Jalen Rose makes a surprising public declaration.
While there is no denying that Irving is an All-NBA caliber player, he certainly didn’t meet the requirement this season. The seven-time All-Star played a mere 29-games, with the Nets falling into the play-in tournament. Nonetheless, the Brooklyn team managed its way to the playoffs.
Things looked gloomy for the Nets fans who had championship aspirations from their team at the start of the season. However, the worst was yet to come, with the Nets suffering a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Celtics in the first round.
Irving’s inconsistent nature would haunt him come playoff time. The former ASG MVP looked extremely rusty from the field in the first round against the Celtics, averaging 21.3 PPG. Despite having such a tumultuous year, ESPN analyst Jalen Rose felt Irving deserved to be on the All-NBA Third Team.
“I need to fall on the sword because I’m the lone person that voted Kyrie Irving third-team All-NBA. Now, I get mesmerized by his talent, but it was a mistake to put him on third team, and I’m glad that didn’t cost Trae Young his spot who deserved it more, so I’m gonna own that.”
Well, we had similar reactions to that of Stephen A. Smith in the above clip, as Rose’s action could have potentially cost a deserving candidate a spot in exchange for Irving, who played only 29-games in the season.
