Everything about the Brooklyn Nets experiment felt like a fever dream. When it started in 2019, people weren't just hopeful; they were certain. A dynasty was coming to the Barclays Center. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, two of the most gifted basketball minds to ever lace up sneakers, chose Brooklyn over the prestige of the Knicks or the stability of their previous homes. It was a power move that shifted the entire gravity of the NBA.
But then, reality hit.
Honestly, looking back at the Kyrie Irving Brooklyn Nets era feels like watching a high-budget film where the script gets rewritten every five minutes. You had the 50-40-90 shooting season, sure. But you also had the "part-time player" saga, the vaccine standoff, and a trade request that felt like a sudden punch to the gut for a fanbase that had finally started to believe again.
The Stats Nobody Talks About
We tend to focus on the drama. That’s human nature. But if you look at the raw numbers, Kyrie was actually spectacular when he was on the floor. In his 143 regular-season games with the Nets, he averaged 27.1 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds.
He was efficient. Deadly.
During the 2020-21 season, he became only the ninth player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club. That means he shot at least 50% from the field, 40% from three, and 90% from the free-throw line. It’s the gold standard for offensive mastery.
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Yet, the winning percentage tells a weirder story. In those four seasons, the Nets actually had a higher winning percentage when Irving didn’t play. It’s a stat that makes your head spin. How can a team be "better" without a Hall of Fame talent? It wasn't about his skill; it was about the rhythm. Or lack thereof.
The Big Three of Durant, Harden, and Irving only played 16 games together including the playoffs. 16 games. That's it. That is the ultimate "what if" in modern sports history.
The Turning Points
If you’re trying to pinpoint where it all went south, you can’t just pick one moment. It was a slow burn.
- The 2021 Playoffs: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s foot. Kyrie lands on it in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Ankle sprain. He’s out. James Harden is playing on one leg. Kevin Durant almost beats the Bucks by himself, but his toe is on the line. If Kyrie doesn’t get hurt there, the Nets probably win the title.
- The Mandate: New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate turned a basketball season into a political lightning rod. Kyrie’s refusal to get the shot meant he couldn't play home games. The team initially told him to stay home entirely, then they let him play as a "road-game only" player. It was a mess.
- The Suspension: In late 2022, the link to a film containing antisemitic tropes led to a five-game suspension (which ended up being longer) and a list of "remedial measures." The relationship with Joe Tsai and Sean Marks was basically frayed beyond repair at this point.
Why the Trade Request Happened
By February 2023, the vibes were... complicated. The Nets were actually playing great basketball under Jacque Vaughn. They were winning. But behind the scenes, contract extension talks had stalled. Kyrie wanted long-term security. The Nets, understandably wary of his availability over the previous three years, wanted protections in the contract.
Kyrie didn't like the "stipulations."
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So, he asked out. Just like that, the era ended. He was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and a 2029 unprotected first-round pick.
What Most People Get Wrong
People like to paint Kyrie as the "villain" who destroyed a superteam. It’s easy. It’s a clean narrative. But if you talk to guys who played with him in Brooklyn, the story is more nuanced.
They’ll tell you he was a great teammate. They’ll talk about his philanthropy—paying off tuition for students at Lincoln University or buying a house for George Floyd’s family. The disconnect wasn't in the locker room; it was between the player's personal philosophy and the organization's corporate requirements.
The Legacy of the Kyrie Irving Brooklyn Nets Era
Was it a failure? In terms of championships, absolutely. You don’t pair KD and Kyrie to win one playoff series in four years. That’s the definition of an underachievement.
But it changed Brooklyn. It made the Nets a global brand for a few years. It brought a level of skill to the Barclays Center that we might not see again for a long time. Seeing Kyrie’s handle in person? It’s different. It’s art.
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What you should do next:
If you want to understand the impact of this era on today's NBA, look at how teams structure "supermax" contracts now. The "Kyrie Effect" led to teams being much more cautious about "player options" and "availability clauses."
You can also track the 2029 first-round pick the Nets got from Dallas. That pick is currently one of the most valuable trade assets in the league because it falls right when Luka Dončić might be entering a different phase of his career. Monitoring that pick's value will tell you who "won" the trade in the long run.
Check the current Nets' salary cap situation. Because they moved Kyrie and KD, they have one of the cleanest sheets in the league, allowing them to rebuild through the draft—starting with the monster 2025 and 2026 classes. The Kyrie era ended, but the "rebuild" it funded is just getting started.