Kyrie Irving already letting Lakers fans down by not showing up to play
By Jason Reed
The Kyrie Irving situation in Brooklyn was an interesting one last season as Irving could not play in home games until late in the season. That tanked Irving’s trade value but despite that, the Los Angeles Lakers are still heavily tied to trading for Irving because the team has an even worse situation in Russell Westbrook.
Talks have seemingly stalled between the Lakers and Nets as Brooklyn (rightfully) prioritizes figuring out a Kevin Durant trade first. However, at the end of the day, it seems like a matter of time until Irving is a Laker.
That is what made his potential appearance at Saturday’s Drew League Game in Los Angeles so exciting. Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley told ESPN that Irving was going to play in the 11 a.m. With LeBron James scheduled to play at 1:30 p.m., this could have been foreshadowing for Lakers fans.
That is, if Kyrie Irving actually showed up. Irving did not play in the game and it became clear early on in the building that he was not going to suit up in front of what a gym that was likely full of Lakers fans.
Here at the Drew League. The buzz in the gym is that Kyrie Irving, at the very least, is not going to be playing here at 11 as previously reported.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) July 16, 2022
Kyrie Irving not showing up to play is true foreshadowing for Lakers fans.
While the Lakers are undoubtedly better off if they trade for Kyrie Irving, it is pretty ironic that the second fans get their hopes up to see him play in Los Angeles he does not show up and lets them down. That is exactly why his trade value is as low as it is.
That being said, there is still a chance that Irving plays later in the day. Maybe Irving will instead slot back to the 1:30 p.m. game to play with his potential future (and former) teammate, LeBron James.
However, with Irving not even showing up for his scheduled appearance, that might just be wishful thinking for Lakers fans. At this rate, it would be a pleasant surprise to see Kyrie actually play in front of LA fans. Anyone that is expecting him to definitely show up and play is probably going to be disappointed.
But at least fans got a taste of what the Kyrie Irving experience is truly like before the team actually trades for him this offseason.