DALLAS — For the first time since being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving spoke to the media about leaving Brooklyn, what he's most excited about being in Dallas and why he recently deleted an Instagram post.
On Sunday, the Mavs traded for the former Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, along with power forward Markieff Morris.
On Tuesday, Irving spoke to the media, saying he feels "really wanted" in Dallas and there's been "nothing but genuine love" from the organization so far.
"Shoutout to Mr. Cuban," Irving said. "Shoutout to the whole front office. The Dallas organization. I've been here for about 48 hours, a little bit more than that. It's been nothing but a warm embrace. Nothing but genuine love."
Dallas sent the Nets Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
In 40 games with Brooklyn this season, Irving has averaged 27.1 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 5.3 assists per game on 48.6 percent shooting from the field.
Irving, who grew up a New Jersey Nets fan, said he knew there would be speculation about why he requested a trade from the Nets.
In November 2022, Brooklyn banned Irving without pay for eight games, and a day later, Nike announced it was halting its relationship with Irving, who was suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to “unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs.”
While Irving said what happened in Brooklyn is water under the bridge and that he wishes the team well, he also said he felt disrespected by the organization.
"I just know I want to be places where I want to be celebrated and not just tolerated or kind of dealt with in a way that doesn't make me feel respected," Irving said. "When things start to change and you're not getting transparency and honesty from people in the front office or people around you, I don't know what person feels confident in that type of environment."
After Irving's suspension, he posted an apology on Instagram to Jewish families and communities. At some point this week, Irving deleted that post.
"Yeah, I delete a lot of things on my Instagram," Irving said Tuesday. "I've had things that have happened before in my life, probably not as drastic at that moment, which led to a lot of confusion. What I meant and what I stand for. And I had to sit up with these mics and explain to the world who I am when I know who I am. So I delete things all the time, and it's no disrespect to anyone in the community. I'm just living my life."
The Mavs consulted with Doncic before agreeing to trade for Irving. Doncic is currently on a five-year, $215 million contract that goes through the 2026-2027 season.
Irving said he hasn't texted or called Doncic yet because he wants to meet him in person face-to-face for the first time. Irving also said he's grateful to move on and that he wants to be at peace when he comes to work.
Irving also said he wants to focus on what he can control and continue to prepare in the gym. He said he plans to "come in every single day and be consistent."
"When things start to change and you're not getting transparency and honesty from people in the front office or people around you, I don't know what person feels confident in that type of environment," Irving said.