Kyrie Irving Holds 'No Regrets' Leaving Nets

Kyrie Irving is grateful for his four-year tenure with the Brooklyn Nets but holds no regrets about forcing his way out of the borough.

It's been almost two weeks since the Brooklyn Nets traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster deadline deal. In that time, the eight-time All-Star has been vocal about his tenure in the borough. 

Although Irving is just settling in Dallas with another championship-contending team, he is fully content with how everything has played out. The guard holds "no regrets" forcing his way out of Brooklyn. On the flip side, he explained that he wanted to remain a Net long-term and wished things worked out with the organization. 

"No regrets," said Irving at NBA All-Star Media Day. "I had a plan in place where I wanted to stay in Brooklyn long term, be a Net. It was a dream come true for me. Obviously, I wish things could have worked out for the best of all of us in terms of winning a championship and etching our names into history of the NBA. Those are big aspirations. It sounds easier said than done. But I had an incredible four years."

Since departing Brooklyn, Irving has had a lot to say about his former home. At his introductory press conference in Dallas, he explained that he felt "disrespected" and wanted to be in a place where he is "celebrated" and "not tolerated" in ways that don't make him feel respected. He declined to get into specifics on those claims. 

"I'm grateful to all the people I met throughout the whole entire organization. But I have no regrets," Irving added on Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City, Utah. "Went through a lot of personal battles myself, had a unique journey. Now I get to speak on it truthfully and know that I've grown as a person, grown as a player. Now I can move forward and reflect on the rearview when it's time, but move forward with Dallas and the teammates I have now. So I'm grateful."

The NBA All-Star Game starter abruptly ended his three-and-a-half seasons with the Nets playing in just 143 games. He averaged 27.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in 35.8 minutes per contest.