The tug-of-war between NBA players and the media has reached new heights this season, with Kyrie Irving being the latest superstar who is visibly bothered by the press. On Monday, reporters asked Irving about his recent frustration.
"I get tired of all this stuff just like everybody else," Kyrie explained. "It's a constant battle because media has just gotten outrageous."
Irving then went on to explain that the media unfairly criticizes the NBA's biggest stars, which might explain dark cloud hanging over the league as of late.
"Even seeing somebody question [LeBron James'] body of work. My body of work. [Kevin Durant's] body of work," Kyrie said. "It makes players very unhappy. I think someone told me that Adam Silver was talking the other day about how unhappy NBA players are especially nowadays because of the scrutiny and exploitation that we go through."
The "scrutiny" Irving talked about is especially intense as his Celtics continue to struggle. Although they are currently the fifth-seed, Boston has disappointed after being the pre-season favorite to top the East. The team has lost five of its last six games, and Irving often looks like he'd rather be anywhere else, which doesn't bode well for his impending free agency.
"I didn't really come into this game to be cameras in my face, be famous, be a celebrity, whatever embodies that," Irving said. "It's a little hard for me. I wanted those things when I was younger, but now ... I just want to play basketball at a very high level."
This is the most life off the court that Irving has shown in weeks. We'll see if that translates to on-court wins when the Celtics take on the Warriors tonight.
