“There will be no sh*t talking going on the court”: Kyrie Irving assures Rockets fans that James Harden’s return will be solely about basketball

Tonoy Sengupta | 02/03/2021
"There will be no sh*t talking going on the court": Kyrie Irving assures Rockets fans that James Harden's return will be solely about basketball

Kyrie Irving issues a reassuring message to disgruntled Rockets’ fans ahead of Brooklyn Nets’ game in Houston. 

The James Harden transfer saga was hardly a low-key one. Friction between the franchise and the player was well documented at the time, and former MVP’s behavior on the way out was hardly appreciated by those in the NBA community.

As it unfolded, neither was the intention to join Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn. And so, while many have somewhat forgiven Harden’s methods to ensure winning a championship, Rockets’ fans are unlikely to be one of them.

Due to this, many have feared that the former Rockets star will be the subject of fans’ dissent during the Nets’ upcoming game in Houston. His exit was definitely a lot more acrimonious than it could have been, but this seems to be par for the course today.

And as is the case with many other situations of similar nature, Kyrie Irving has involved himself in the matter.

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Kyrie Irving urges Houston Rockets’ fans to just “Enjoy the game of basketball”

As per Michael Scotto of USA Today, Kyrie Irving had this to say ahead of Harden’s return to Toyota Center:

“Everybody at home, enjoy the game. There will be no tension or no sh*t talking going on the court or about James in my presence or anybody else’s presence. We’re coming to Houston to enjoy the game of basketball,”

While the sentiment of Irving is absolutely understandable, whether or not the fans will actually choose to heed his advice, is a completely different matter. This has been the case with several players in the past. Kevin Durant and LeBron James being living examples of what happens when a player ‘betrays’ their franchise.

As is obvious, there won’t be nearly as many fans present as what was possible before. Perhaps how subdued the boos are, may just be the only solace for James Harden during this game.

Also Read: Shaquille O’Neal rips apart today’s players and their sensitivity, calling them ‘pudding pops’

Post Edited By: Amulya Shekhar
Brooklyn Nets Houston Rockets James Harden kyrie irving

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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