It was back in 2016 that now-Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving joined others in bringing gold to the United States in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Teaming up with the likes of Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, Irving helped that iteration of Team USA absolutely dominate opponents in Rio.
Fast forward less than a decade, and it just seems like we exist in a completely different world. The 2024 Summer Olympics are set to get going from Paris late this summer with terrorist threats being the name of the game. There is also a question about Russia’s involvement in the games due to its ongoing war with Ukraine.
As for Irving, everything has changed since he put that gold medal on during the 2016 iteration of the event in Brazil.
Shortly after the Team USA 12-man roster was announced, Irving is speaking out against not being named a member of the team. He’s not too happy.
“I wish my brothers well. I just didn’t fit in to this team,” Kyrie Irving said. “I think the deliberation process was a tough one. But again, I have nothing but respects to those guys of USAB. At this point in my career I think my focus should be on winning the championship and in summer time to just go and support those guys when I get a chance,” Kyrie Irving told reporters.
“I grew up in a time when we actually had to try out for USAB. And we did meet up as a group and as peers and there was a mutual respect that we earned from one another in trying out and seeing what five meshed well.”
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Here is a list of the Team USA roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
- Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
- Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
- Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
- Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
- Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
- Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
- Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
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Did Drama Force Kyrie Irving Off Team USA Basketball Roster?
It’s a real question to be asked. On the court, he likely would have been a better option than the aforementioned Jrue Holiday. Look at their statistical comparisons from this past regular season.
- Jrue Holiday: 12.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.8 APG
- Kyrie Irving: 25.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.2 APG
An argument could be made that chief Team USA decision makers Grant Hill and Steve Kerr preferred Holiday’s defense over Irving’s offense. After all, this is already going to be an elite-scoring team without Irving in the mix.
But we can’t ignore the controversies that have surrounded the former No. 1 pick from Duke.
Back in 2021 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Irving pushed back against getting the COVID-19 vaccines. Due to New York City vaccine mandates at the time, he was forced to sit out home games. It created a rift between Irving and the Nets’ organization.
“We were supposed to have all that figured out before training camp last year,” Irving said. “And it just didn’t happen because of the status of me being vaccinated, unvaccinated. So, I understood their point and I just had to live with it. It was a tough pill to swallow, honestly.”
Kyrie Irving back in 2022, via ESPN
In October of 2022, Irving tweeted a link to an Amazon documentary. The film included denials that the Holocaust occurred. It also includes quotes that have been attributed to Adolf Hitler. He later apologized for the social media post, and promised to “learn from all walks of life and religions.”
Irving’s tenure with the Nets ended in dramatic fashion when he requested a trade ahead of the in-season 2022-23 NBA trade deadline. It followed dramatic departures from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics earlier in his career.