Kyrie Irving has moved from Brooklyn Nets to Dallas Mavericks but has been wished well by the club coach.
As Kyrie Irving’s departure finalised just before Monday night’s 124-116 loss to the LA Clippers, the Brooklyn Nets tried to process all of the emotions the group was feeling in the wake of watching the All-Star guard head to the Dallas Mavericks.
“My interactions with Kai have always been positive,” coach Jacque Vaughn said after the game, when asked to sum up Irving’s 3½ years with the Nets. “I enjoyed coaching him. I want him to succeed. I’ll keep it that simple. We’ve had some ups and downs I guess along the way. I’ve also seen the young man score 60 points. I’ve also seen him bring his kids into the locker room.
“I’ve also seen him grow as an individual and be a better teammate than when I first met him. So for me, I’m going to always look at the good in people and want the good in people. And I want him to succeed. He’s no longer with us, but I appreciate his time. But I’m looking forward to coaching Spencer [Dinwiddie] and [Dorian Finney-Smith] for sure.”
The Nets completed the deal Monday that brought Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith a future first-round pick and two-second picks to Brooklyn in exchange for Irving and veteran big man Markieff Morris. Vaughn said he never asked Irving, who requested a trade on Friday, why he wanted to leave the Nets.
“My conversation with Kai was based around, really in all honesty, him growing up,” Vaughn said. “Me seeing him with our time when we first met. How I tried to be consistent for him, be an example for him. Whether it was talking about my kids to him, bringing my kids to Family Day so he could see that, the importance of being a father.
“Being consistent as you possibly can with your teammates, forming relationships that are meaningful and true that will go beyond. I’m hoping to see him years from now and he remembers how I treated him on a daily basis … I tried to be a consistent motivator for him and let him see how important it is to form lasting relationships.”
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