Kyrie Irving received a fine from the NBA on Thursday evening following a statement he put out in which he made clear he did not want to speak to the media. Like most things involving Kyrie Irving, his release led to a number of takes and a lengthy dialogue about the relationship that NBA players have with the media.
Irving responded to his fine on Friday on his Instagram with a quote by Malcolm X and a statement about how he wanted the money from his fine going towards “marginalized communities in need.” He ended with a pair of sentences that drew a ton of attention, writing that, “I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more.”
His use of the word “pawns,” believed to be an indictment of the media, drew a ton of attention. Elsewhere in the world of basketball, it spurred a question to Kevin Love by a member of the Cleveland media. Love, a former teammate of Irving, was as candid as ever in his response, and explained why he had an issue with the verbiage, even if he understands the point that Irving is making.
Not my question, but here's Kevin Love's extended thoughts on Kyrie Irving's "pawns" post stemming from a rocky relationship with the media. #Cavs @basketbllnews pic.twitter.com/Jh3NpI3Mli
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) December 11, 2020
“I think that calling anybody a pawn is a sure sign of disrespect, and I understand where Kyrie is coming from in trying to better a number of people’s lives, but I’m just not a divisive person,” Love said.
Love also recalled something he was told by Flip Saunders, his former coach in Minnesota, who told him “everybody has a part to play” in the NBA ecosystem.
“To call you guys, or, listen, anybody pawns, I’ve just always felt … I’ve always taken Flip’s words to heart,” Love said. “Everybody has a part to play, this is you guys’ livelihood. I’m thankful that we’re all working, you guys are all working, I think this goes without saying right now.”
The whole comments are worth listening to, as Love tries his best to cut through the discourse around Irving and give a straightforward answer. The pair, of course, were teammates in Cleveland from 2014-17, where they won a championship.
