On December 30, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA regular season was in full swing. Earlier today, Nets star Irving officially ushered in the return, he attended the team training, and gave media interviews to explain what happened to himself and the team recently.
Speaking about the refusal to be vaccinated and the Nets' decision to suspend him, Irving said: "I know what the consequences of doing so are and what impact it will have on my season. But in any case, I was not prepared for vaccination. I totally understand the Nets and respect their decisions. I have to calm down, evaluate everything rationally, look at things from the team's point of view, and try not to be emotional about the decisions they make. ”
Speaking about his form and when he will be able to make a comeback, Owen said: "In order to be able to stay in shape, I played some games in North Jersey during my absence. Today is the first time in a long time that I have played against a professional player. After a long wait, my heart is now very calm. But I can't hide my heart and I'm very much looking forward to the first game after my return. I'm going to get back to my best, whether it's going to take five games or more. I barely slept last night and I kept thinking, man, I don't want to miss the game again. I miss basketball, my heart beats faster when I think of it, I miss the rhythm of the game. ”
Owen then talked about the Nets atmosphere and goals, and Irving said: "We all want to hit the iron while it's hot [to compete for the championship]. I really appreciate being able to come back to this building. My teammates and the whole team welcomed me back with open arms. Everything in this world is difficult to see from the perspective of a bystander. It's the first time I've been back here in a long time, but it's the same feeling with everyone as it was a long time ago. ”
Nets coach Nash also spoke about Irving in an interview, saying: "Irving trained with the team today, considering that he has just recovered from the new crown, his form looks great, it is too early to judge his physical condition, but everyone is happy that he can come back to training. Getting Irving on the 6th of January game wasn't a huge deal, but we didn't rule it out. It's not wise to urge him to play, there are only 50 games left and we will wait until he is fully ready. If he's ready to play against the Pacers, that's fine, and if he doesn't, we'll push it to the next game. ”
Owen's friend and teammate Durant, who was also interviewed, said: "As we suffer from the pandemic, we need more manpower, it's that simple, so we let Irving come back. We would have liked that to happen sooner, but a lot has really happened this season. ”
After the Nets' training session today, the Nets official posted the team's training photos and wrote: "Work hard and have fun!" As you can see from the photos, Irving is still very happy about his return, and the atmosphere of the whole team is also very good.
Separately, team rookie Cameron Thomas has reportedly lifted a health and safety agreement. Durant and Aldridge have been removed from the injury list and could play tomorrow against the 76ers. For tomorrow's game, the team currently has only 5 missing players: Irving (violating local new York epidemic policies), Harris (ankle injury), Edwards (health and safety agreement), Duke (health and safety agreement), Sharp (health and safety agreement). As the Nets gradually become more and more well-rounded, and Irving returns, the Nets will once again attack the championship!