Kyrie Irving Is Back With Another Rant, This Time Complaining About How People Say He's A Team Cancer

Sean Gardner. Getty Images.

About a month ago, the Dallas Mavericks pulled the trigger and decided it was a good idea to invest in the Kyrie Irving Experience. They were sitting in the 6 spot in the West at 29-26, and it got to the point where Cuban finally said enough was enough and he brought Luka some high end talent to help out.

Since then, the Mavs are currently 8th in the West and sit at 34-33, with a brutal 3-7 stretch over their last 10. They are now 3-6 when both Kyrie and Luka play (although Luka did get hurt last night so maybe you don't want to count that) after their 113-106 loss to the struggling Pelicans (32-34). Is that all because of Kyrie? No, that would not be fair. But it is fair to suggest that the results of this trade are not exactly what I'm sure Mavs fans were expecting when we first learned of this trade.

To anyone who has lived through the Kyrie Irving Experience before and has had to watch their favorite team navigate that situation, I can't say it's all that surprising. Things usually follow a blueprint when it comes to Kyrie. He shows up on a new team, says all the right things, has some massive individual scoring performances and things seem great. Then, the losses start to happen and he hops on the internet to rant/avoid any sort of accountability. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Mavs fans I'm sure told themselves things would be different because now he was on THEIR team, which is what happens. Every fanbase does it. I did it. And yet….

Here's the thing. Kyrie is not entirely wrong. It can be unfair on some levels to put all the problems that a team might be going through on Kyrie and Kyrie alone. But you know what is on him? The shit HE does. I'm pretty sure he played a role in how his tenure in CLE/BOS/BKN ended. Call it a locker room cancer or someone who creates unnecessary distractions, he is not without blame. That's what he never really seems to understand. None of this shit is from other people, it's almost entirely self inflicted. It was Kyrie that wanted all the shine in CLE and then pouted and demanded a trade. It was Kyrie that told Celtics fans he was going to re-sign only to instead plot with KD about leaving and then quit on the Celts in the Bucks series. It was Kyrie that did ALL the shit in BKN. 

Now, in a new city and on a new team, we get a video like this. It's almost as if he can't help himself. He talks about how this is all the media slandering him and all this shit, well maybe stop giving them material? Does that sound like a guy that is taking ownership of his past mistakes or does it sound like someone who is unable to accept any responsibility for his actions? Add in the fact that his team isn't winning right now and it's really just more of the same from a guy who has been doing shit like this for 5 years now.

I have to admit, I did not see stuff like this coming just 1 month into his Mavs tenure. Usually, you're still in the honeymoon phase at this point. These types of videos from Kyrie usually come after some playoff shortcomings or half a season of underachievement. As is tradition, Mavs fans will attempt to spinzone this rant because that's what you have to do when Kyrie is on your team. Your brain leaves you no choice, we've all done it.

Sadly though, deep down they know that this is probably just the beginning. The possibility that Kyrie could leave this summer is still very real, and I wouldn't exactly say the experiment is working at the moment. Add in some more unneeded Kyrie drama that is sure to now exist, this is just another distraction. He's going to be asked about this, the players and coaches are going to be asked about this, and none of that helps.

As always, it will be everyone else's fault though.