NBA superstar Kyrie Irving has developed a reputation as an iconoclast, a fierce individualist and a free thinker who has frequently challenged NBA traditions that are considered sacrosanct.
Subsequently, it comes as no surprise that the 28-year-old Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter proffered the idea that players seriously consider starting their own pro league, according to the New York Daily News.
He broached the subject during a players’ conference call on Zoom that included about 80 players on Friday, June 12, 2020. Irving reportedly is vehemently opposed to restarting the league at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and being sequestered for the balance of the season within a “bubble” at a resort community.
“I don’t support going into Orlando. I’m not with the systematic racism and the bulls—. Something smells a little fishy,” Irving reportedly said on Friday’s call, according to Yahoo Sports.
Irving is said to be resolute in his stance that Black players are enriching the coffers of the league’s predominantly White owners. Currently, the NBA has three minority owners, including Michael Jordan of the Charlotte Hornets, Vivek Ranadivé of the Sacramento Kings and Joseph Tsai of the Brooklyn Nets.
LeBron James, on the other hand, is diametrically opposed to Irving’s stance. King James, the star of the Los Angeles Lakers, adamantly believes he and other marquee players can make more of a sociopolitical impact in the country while playing out the season.
