"When Ukraine got bombed by Russia, I thought Kyrie was gonna take off for that" - Stephen A. Smith's damning take on Kyrie Irving's work ethic, alleges that he finds excuses to not show up to work

Kyrie Irving, with the New York City COVID-19 rules amended, is slated to debut at the Barclays Center on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. Brooklyn Nets fans who had almost given up hope on seeing this day will finally witness their ultra-skilled point guard play on the team's home floor.

Before the news Thursday, so much had been said about Irving’s vaccination stance and what it meant to the NBA and fans of the game. One of the seven-time All-Star’s most vocal critics is ESPN sports analyst Stephen A. Smith.

The veteran sports personality made it clear in an episode of "The Pivot" where his criticism of Irving comes from:

“My issue with Kyrie Irving is that Kyrie Irving finds every excuse under the sun not to show up for work. … Ukraine, we ain’t joking about that stuff. I swear to you, my hand on the Bible, when Ukraine got bombed by Russia, I thought Kyrie was gonna take off for that. I went on 'First Take' and went like this, ‘I wanna see if he gonna take off.’ That’s exactly what I did. I want to see, because there’s always an excuse!!!”

He detailed an event that pointed out Irving’s alleged reluctance to play for the sport when he’s paid millions to do so:

“Season (2020-21) starts December 22nd. Two weeks later, Kyrie needs time off. Why? Because the riots took place in the U.S. Capitol, and he’s traumatized. Are you kidding me? Have y’all lost your mind!? You’ve got to be kidding me. … Wasn’t a riot at the Barclays Center. Wasn’t a riot in New York City.

Smith continued:

"There was a riot at the U.S. Capitol!! What the hell is next? The Palestinians bomb the Israelis, and you gotta take time off because of that? Really? The war in Afghanistan? Al-Qaeda comes out of nowhere; that’s gonna be a reason.”

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Kyrie Irving didn’t join the Brooklyn Nets in the Disney Bubble and encouraged others to do the same

Stephen A. Smith is happy Kyrie Irving will play in home games but does not consider him a hero. [Photo: The SportsRush

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith talked about Nets superstar Kyrie Irving's supposedly lack of a willingness to play:

“The brother’s gone for 10 months. He gets injured in February. The season gets halted in March because of the pandemic. Then after that, they resume play in the bubble.

"Kyrie is a vice president on the committee discouraging players from playing in the bubble, knowing that the league owners had this provision called the force majeure provision that would have allowed them to rip up the collective bargaining agreement, thereby rendering all contracts null and void.

“He knew that and was still encouraging them to do it, which was ignorant! Then, on top of it all, he did it without talking with the president of the Players Association at that time, which is Chris Paul. Weeks fast forward, bubble takes place, Lakers win the chip, they go play in December. That’s 10 months off! 10!”

Smith has some valid points. What he said were a few of the reasons why Brooklyn couldn’t find a trade partner for Irving earlier in the season. Things happened for a reason, and this is now where everything is. How things unfold will be interesting to see.

Click here to bet on Kyrie Irving scoring more than 30 points against Charlotte Hornets

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