Kyrie Irving clears the air on rumored beef with Kevin Durant and Steve Nash

Kyrie Irving left the Brooklyn Nets in the middle of the 2022-23 season to join the Dallas Mavericks, ending his Nets stint that saw him play alongside Kevin Durant, and James Harden and coached by Steve Nash. His departure from Brooklyn sparked rumors about a potential beef with Durant and Nash, but Irving has dismissed those speculations.

On his Twitch stream, Irving cleared the air on beefs with Durant and Nash, saying that he holds no grudge with them despite their lackluster partnerships during their time in Brooklyn.

“I just want to say this as a disclaimer, me and KD are not beefing. I’m not beefing with Steve Nash. I’m not beefing with anybody,” Kyrie Irving said.

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Irving, who's recovering from a torn ACL, played for the Nets from 2019 to 2023, but those years were marred by injuries on top of the COVID-19 vaccine controversies, which barred him from playing in home games in the 2021 season.

Fresh from an Achilles tear, Durant joined the team in 2020 before James Harden arrived at the Nets a year later. Irving, Durant and Harden only appeared in 16 games together throughout their time with the Nets.

The team was broken up in 2023, with Kyrie Irving joining the Mavericks, Harden teaming up with Joel Embiid in Philadelphia and Durant playing with the Phoenix Suns.

Meanwhile, Nash has moved away from the limelight since being fired by the Nets in 2022. However, he will be one of the analysts for the upcoming NBA coverage on Amazon Prime next season.

Kyrie Irving reveals he waited for Durant’s Achilles recovery to fulfill plans in Brooklyn

Before joining the Nets, Kevin Durant was with the Golden State Warriors competing for the 2019 NBA title when he tore his Achilles tendon against the Toronto Raptors in the Finals. The injury derailed his debut with the Nets, leaving Kyire Irving waiting in the wings for him.

According to Irving, their plan to team up in Brooklyn was laid out before Durant’s injury, and he had to stick with that despite Durant being out for over a year in recovery.

"KD had just tore his Achilles in the Finals. Me and him were planning on doing things to go to Brooklyn. I don't know any of you guys that would still stick it out with one of your friends that tears their Achilles and wait a year and a half for them to get healthy, but I'm that dude. I'm not about to leave K out there after a torn Achilles,” Irving said.

“I waited for my brother to get healthy."

This time, Kyrie Irving is on the sidelines recovering from an ACL tear. When he returns, the new-look Mavericks await him, which now boast a core of Anthony Davis and top rookie Cooper Flagg.

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About the author

Rob Andrew Lo

Rob Andrew Lo is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience in the field. Rob studied journalism at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines and his love for sports made this an obvious career to pursue.

Rob's favorite team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. He grew up watching Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and his admiration for them left not only a lasting impression but solidified his fandom.

When not working, Rob loves to play basketball. If he isn't watching or writing about basketball, he can probably be found watching pro wrestling.

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