It’s been a banner week for Kyrie Irving. After calling the media “pawns” and refusing to participate in his media responsibilities, Kyrie earned a hefty fine and, of course, drew the ire of many in the world of sports reporting. That included Charles Barkley, who went particularly hard at Kyrie on Friday and what he characterized as his need to be seen as the “smartest person in the world.”
Thankfully, it was back to actual basketball on Friday night, as Kyrie and the Nets traveled to Boston to face his former team in the final tune-up game of the preseason before the regular season gets underway next week. And just to make sure that there wasn’t any lingering negative energy from his departure two summers ago, Kyrie made sure to literally clear the air with some sage prior to tip off.
Kyrie returns to Boston tonight with the Nets. He is out on the court early burning sage before tipoff.
(via @NBCSCeltics)pic.twitter.com/ibmRW5Gx4D
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) December 18, 2020
It should come as little surprise that Irving would subscribe to this popular new age practice, and whether it was the sage or not, he was greeted warmly by his former teammates prior to tip-off.
Kyrie and Tatum catching up before the game
(via @NBCSCeltics)pic.twitter.com/NChS1FK1ad
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 19, 2020
That, combined with the outcome of the game, is enough to make the argument that it may have helped a little bit, as the Nets finished up their preseason with a 113-89 win in Boston.
Irving finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting for the night, to go along with seven rebounds and five assists against his former team. But it was Kevin Durant who led the way for Brooklyn with 25 points. The two have given us a tantalizing look at what we can expect in the regular season, and let’s hope that Kyrie’s sage-burning practice continues to be part of that routine, as well.