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Kyrie Irving: ‘I would love to entertain playing for Team Australia’

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But if not Team USA… Kyrie Irving: I would love to entertain playing for Team Australia, man. (While Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia, and holds dual citizenship, he could only play for the Australian national team if both Team USA and FIBA approved his choice.) Kyrie Irving: I don’t think it’s a strong, strong possibility at this point, depending on what the Olympic Committee does. But as a competitor, I was born in Australia. For me, it’s not a hard transition to make, but I don’t want to fall into the same, I would say, probably like — I’m trying to be very intentional with my words here. I don’t want to fall into the trap of being let down or disappointed when I know that there are other opportunities out there for me.
Source: New York Times

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Sam Amick @sam_amick
Kyrie Irving unplugged, at @TheAthletic: On the Mavs’ mission, his Team USA absence that fuels him for 2028, what he learned during those tumultuous pre-Dallas years, and much more
nytimes.com/athletic/58319… – 10:50 AM
StatMuse @statmuse
Kyrie by team:
Cavs — 21.6 PPG | 5.5 APG | 45.7 FG%
Celtics — 24.1 PPG | 6.1 APG | 48.9 FG%
Nets — 27.1 PPG | 5.8 APG | 48.9 FG%
Mavs — 26.0 PPG | 5.4 APG | 50.0 FG%
Rank them 1-4. pic.x.com/zwCb1F1sa2 – 10:38 AM

David Locke @DLocke09
🎙️ New on Locked On Jazz:
– Walker Kessler’s pivotal role in defense
– @bigTbailey preseason insights
– Jazz’s defensive strategies against Luka & Kyrie
Don’t miss out on the latest episode! pic.x.com/0uDyfXAr2C – 10:32 AM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Tyronn Lue taking blame for second unit, while saying “The rotations won’t look like that”
T Lue later added that he wants to get Kai Jones more time with Harden and Ivica Zubac more time with bench specifically to give second unit another offensive option pic.x.com/WUGQk7WgaK – 12:37 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Most 50+ PT games on 75 FG% since 2000:
3 — Giannis
2 — Kyrie
Nobody else has more than one. pic.x.com/SJfCoOpF9n – 8:53 AM

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Kai Jones got a SIXTH dunk of the second half to cap a 6-2 Clippers run and jack the lead to a dozen
Then the Brooklyn Martins (Jaylen and Tyrese) hit 3s to cut lead in half
Clippers timeout with 6:46 left and leading 98-92. – 12:45 AM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Clippers end 3rd quarter on 10-0 run to take 83-76 lead. Held Nets without points over last 3:13 of quarter
Kai Jones: 11 3rd quarter points, all on dunks or attempted assault that led to free throw attempts – 12:28 AM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Kai Jones dunk show that everyone needed to see
Three punches of different flavors:
– The fast break from KPJ
– The offensive rebound and putback
– The wrap from Kobe
Nets lead cut to 74-73 with 3:30 left in 3rd quarter – 12:18 AM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
What was I saying about running Kai Jones vs standing Kai Jones lol… he really tried it – 12:13 AM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Kai can jump well off the sprint. Not nearly as explosive off two feet under the hoop. – 11:06 PM
Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
First Nets subs: Noah Clowney at center, Jalen Wilson at small forward
First Clippers sub: Kai Jones for Ivica Zubac, who is in foul trouble
Clippers were +16 with Harden/Mann/Powell/Jones Jr./Zubac – 11:00 PM
Eddie Sefko @ESefko
Jason Kidd on the outlook for the rest of preseason: “Going forward, Klay and Kai will play most likely in the last three (preseason) games to get that continuity against the opponent and get some rhythm going.” He added that getting Luka involved is a possibility, too. – 7:14 PM
Eddie Sefko @ESefko
Reminder, this came out from Mavs’ PR earlier: Dončić (left calf contusion), Irving (rest), Thompson (rest), Washington Jr. (left hip tightness), Kleber (left ankle sprain), Exum (right wrist), Williams (right calf strain), Edwards (left ankle sprain) will be OUT tonight vs. MEM. – 5:20 PM
Mike Curtis @MikeACurtis2
New story: The #Mavs will be without Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Luka Doncic, PJ Washington and several others for tonight’s preseason opener against the #Grizzlies. dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 2:32 PM
Mike Curtis @MikeACurtis2
I’m told that Kyrie Irving & Klay Thompson will not play in tonight’s preseason opener against the Grizzlies, but they are fully healthy.
Also out: Luka D. (left calf), PJ Washington (left hip tightness), Maxi K. (left ankle), D. Exum (right wrist), B. Williams (right calf). – 12:57 PM

More on this storyline

Irving’s late mother, Elizabeth Ann Larson, was a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She lived on the tribe’s reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border until the age of 8 and died of sepsis at the age of 29. Irving, who reconnected with his Native American roots in the summer of 2018, was 4 at the time. Kyrie Irving: I come from being a student of the oral history of what happened, the treaties being disrespected by the U.S. government and my ancestors being murdered brutally, being hung from trees and being lynched. All this stuff is not easy to deal with when you’re a young person and you feel like you’ve been indoctrinated by — I’m not going to say just our school system, but I didn’t get a fair shake at trying to learn the truth of what happened to my family. So trying to put the pieces together, it put me in a position where I had to go through that time to understand not just who the Jewish community is, but who are the people that I’ve been around my whole life. My AAU coach (Sandy Pyonin) is a Jewish man. I played for him for four years. -via New York Times / October 10, 2024
The last time I was in this building was at Team USA’s training camp (before the Olympics). I covered it and honestly kept thinking about the fact that you probably should have been there. You’ve fairly pointed out that, in the old days, there was a tryout, and this time around there wasn’t. So what was it like to not be part of that group? With Steph and LeBron and KD, that’s your generation. Kyrie Irving: I won’t say it was hurtful not to be able to try out, but it just was weird that we weren’t able to try out and get together as a group, because the USA team is not just 12 guys or 15 guys. … I was playing on Team USA when I was 17, 18. I won three gold medals. I won when I was 18, when I was 22, and I won one when I was 24. So there is a pride thing there, and I have history. There was such a great competitive pool that you can test yourself against because it’s the best in the world. It’s not every day you get a chance to go against (players of that caliber). -via New York Times / October 10, 2024