Kyrie Irving should retire from basketball

Stephen A. Smith believes Kyrie Irving should retire from basketball.

The ESPN artist believes Irving’s personal leave is proof that his heart is not in the game and he owes it to the fans, the Nets organization and his teammates to step down.

“It’s not worth it [the drama] at all, ”Smith said on the network Wednesday. “Actually, let me say this from top to bottom: I think Kyrie Irving should retire. I think he should announce his retirement today. Obviously, you don’t want to play basketball enough. “

Irving, 28, will miss his fifth straight game when the Nets face the Knicks on Wednesday night at the Garden. His absence is believed to be due to his being upset over the U.S. Capitol Riot. But on Monday night, video of an Irving without a mask surfaced at what appeared to be a family birthday party.

Although the video is not dated, her father, Drederick, turned 55 on Monday and her sister, Asia, turned 30 on Tuesday. Then on Tuesday, Irving was spotted at a video call launch party for Tahanie Aboushi, the Democratic candidate for the district attorney in Manhattan.

“Kyrie Irving didn’t prioritize basketball, but I’m not saying he doesn’t want to all play together,” Smith said. “I’m saying he didn’t prioritize it, and how fair was that to Brooklyn Nets?” Is it fair to Sean Marks? How fair is that to Steve Nash – a trainer he approved by getting on board, a trainer he wanted, a trainer he fully supported? Is it fair to his brother, Kevin Durant?

Smith praised Irving for his good job off the pitch, but also noted that he can do these things while playing.

“Here’s the problem I have: He acts like he can’t chew gum and walk at the same time,” Smith said.