Kyrie Irving called his time with the Nets a job well done: "I did what I was supposed to do"

Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February 2023 at his own request, ending his three-and-a-half-season tenure with the Brooklyn Nets.

During his time in Brooklyn, Irving experienced less playoff success than in his previous stints with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, raising questions about whether the point guard’s time with the Nets had been a failed experiment.

Just weeks after joining Dallas, Irving dismissed that notion, confident in the legacy he left behind.

No regrets, job completed

Evaluating a player’s tenure often comes down to goals set and goals achieved. Irving never spelled out exactly what he aimed to accomplish with the Nets, but he made it clear he left his mark before moving to the Mavericks, the team the 33-year-old is still contracted with.

“I left them (The Nets) in fourth place. I did what I was supposed to do,” Irving said, per ESPN.

Indeed, at the time of Irving’s remarks, Brooklyn held a 32-22 record, comfortably positioned in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. For “Uncle Drew,” that performance represented a job well done.

Furthermore, Irving said that if anyone wanted to blame him for unfulfilled responsibilities to the franchise, they should look at the strong leadership he had shown, one he described as defined by a sense of selflessness.

There’s proof of that as well.

Former Nets wing Taurean Prince once praised both Irving and his superstar teammate Kevin Durant as vocal leaders in the Nets locker room, setting the tone by example while remaining open to feedback.

“They both come up and talk to you saying what you did wrong. But, the thing that surprised not only myself but a lot of guys is that they receive criticism from their teammates very well. If we feel like we want to correct them or need talk to them about a situation where they could have been there for us, well then it’s same thing,” said Prince in December 2020.

A complicated stint

Having closed the chapter with the Nets, whom he wished well, without any regrets, Irving was ready to start a new story in Dallas — alongside a dynamic backcourt partner in Luka Doncic (now with the Los Angeles Lakers) and under the guidance of Hall of Famer Jason Kidd.

While looking forward was the right approach, Irving’s time in Brooklyn was widely seen as more complicated than his remarks suggested.

Paired with Durant in 2019 and later joined by James Harden, the trio was expected to lead the franchise to the promised land. Yet despite their talent, they fell short of that goal.

Irving’s off-court issues — culminating in two leaves of absence during the 2020-21 season, a 2022 suspension and his aforementioned trade request in early 2023 — often overshadowed the team’s objectives and raised serious questions about his coachability.

Kyrie, however, disputed those criticisms, explaining that in Brooklyn, he often felt merely tolerated, sometimes dealt with in ways that left him feeling disrespected and at worst, outright disrespected. That assessment suggested Irving felt the situation with his former team kept him from shining as he wanted.

Ultimately, there were many challenges that made the Nets-Irving collaboration a headache for both sides. What is noteworthy, however, is that stat-wise, “Uncle Drew” excelled with the team. Whenever he was on the court, the 6’2″ playmaker delivered.

Over 143 games with Brooklyn, Irving averaged 27.1 points and 5.8 assists per contest, leaving little room to fault him at least by that metric.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Kyrie Irving called his time with the Nets a job well done: “I did what I was supposed to do”

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