Irving’s Nets Legacy: Did His Time in Brooklyn Tarnish His Hall of Fame Prospects?

 

Irving’s Nets Legacy: Did His Time in Brooklyn Tarnish His Hall of Fame Prospects?

The career of the former Brooklyn star has been filled with highs and lows.

 

While the Brooklyn Nets have had a number of notable players in recent seasons, one in particular has piqued my curiosity.

 

Even though the Nets made it to the NBA Finals twice under Jason Kidd’s tenure, the 2021 team might be argued as the best in franchise history.

 

Unsurprisingly, the 2021 squad lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in a second-round thriller.

 

In a recent story from  the Athletic, Mike Vorkunov put active stars into tiers based on their likelihood of making the Hall of Fame.

 

While Irving’s former Brooklyn teammates, Durant and Harden, landed as clear locks, the former No. 1 pick was tabbed a near lock, with Vorkunov citing that his case is more “muddled” than his resume would appear.

 

Until the 2021–22 season began, Irving’s off-court stand remained the biggest black eye on his career.

 

Due to New York City’s vaccination mandate, Irving was not permitted to play for the Nets in home games because he refused to acquire the COVID vaccine.

 

Irving was also not allowed to play in road games because Brooklyn did not want him to be a part-time star.

 

 

Nevertheless, Irving started playing in away games once January started, and the Nets’ attitude on the matter altered thereafter.

 

Irving was granted permission to play in home games once more by the end of March, but by then, the harm had already been done.

 

After trading Harden, the Nets fell to seventh place in the East and were no longer in title contention after a recent 20-game losing streak that saw them go to 3-17.

 

The following season, Irving’s off-court troubles persisted; he served an early suspension for posting a link to a video that promoted antisemitism.

 

A few months later, in early February 2023, the Nets traded him to Dallas after the eight-game suspension, which was one of the final straws for them.

 

Assuming Irving plays through the 2021 playoffs unscathed and the Nets dominate the rest of the league, maybe none of these Brooklyn troubles will be as noticeable.

 

But there is a stain from his time in Brooklyn that would make Irving’s possible journey to Springfield a little more difficult.