Kyrie Irving made his season debut last night in a match against the Indiana Pacers. Despite some issues in the first half, the Nets were able to regroup and secure the win on the road, all while Irving put up a respectable 22 points in 32 minutes of action. It was a fantastic return for the Brooklyn Nets star, and many were happy to see him back in the lineup after missing three months due to his stance on the vaccines against COVID-19.
After last night's win, Irving got to speak to the media about his performance and how he felt out on the court. As Irving explained, he was extremely grateful about the opportunity to play and that while the game was difficult at first, he felt good having the support of his teammates around him.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
"Just a lot of gratitude just to be present tonight with everyone," Irving said. "Just go out there and have fun doing what we love to do. It was a not-so-good first half for us, and we came in the locker room and we knew that in order to build this identity that we want to have later in the season we got to start now."
Kyrie's appearances this season will have to be staggered as he can only play away games right now. It remains to be seen how this will work in the playoffs, especially when the games get a lot more meaningful. Regardless, it is nice to have him back.
You can check out the highlights from last night's game, below.
[Via]