The Kyrie situation is slowly drawing in the Duke program

[dudog84]

I see but then again- Kyrie is fighting for the voiceless which I assume also includes the NBA folks that make everything happen

Who are these "voiceless" of which you speak? Seem pretty loud to me.

[stingy]

I was about to post that response from K from Tuesday, which would have been a few hours before Nolan’s tweet. I could see someone ask him tonight about it although I’m not planning on it personally. I would encourage one of the N&O people to do it though. A strong statement would hopefully end the distraction as it relates to this current Duke team and Kyrie can just be disconnected from this season’s goals.

[Stray Gator]

At the risk of being pilloried by his admirers and sanctioned by the moderators, I'm going to weigh in here with a few observations and opinions from my perspective.

1. Kyrie Irving is a remarkably talented basketball player. No fan cheered louder for him when he played at Duke. No fan was more disappointed for him and the team when he suffered an injury that kept him on the bench for nearly the entire season. And no fan was more grateful for his enthusiasm in touting "The Brotherhood' as a means of promoting the Duke basketball program after he left. But over the years since he reached the NBA, it appears to me that Kyrie's hunger for attention has led him to exploit his celebrity by making outlandish statements and adopting controversial positions that, in my opinion, have caused him to become an embarrassment to Duke.

2. I understand the concept of "standing by your friend," and I appreciate the underlying sentiment that motivates one to maintain steadfast loyalty when it comes to "supporting" a friend who is taking flak for a "personal decision." But the appropriate form and degree of such "support" should depend on the extent to which that friend's decision is truly "personal" in scope -- that is, whether the potentially negative consequences would be confined to the person making the choice, or could result in harm to other people. In this case, Kyrie Irving's choice not to be vaccinated, and his participation in generating widespread publicity about that choice, renders this much more than a purely "personal" matter. In fact, his decision could have multiple adverse impacts on others -- not only recklessly endangering those with whom he directly or indirectly interacts, but influencing some segment of his massive fanbase to believe that refusing the vaccine is just fine.

3. Under these circumstances, I believe that those who express "support" for Kyrie's "personal decision," either affirmatively or tacitly, have gone too far, because they are effectively endorsing a dangerous stance. This is not some silly game of innocuous foolishness, like proclaiming that the Earth is flat. Kyrie's behavior is sowing distrust and fueling resistance to the only remedy we have with proven reliability. Discouraging COVID vaccinations, whether actively or only by example, perpetuates the spread of the virus, and thereby facilitates continued unnecessary suffering -- physical, psychological, social, and economic. "Standing by your guy" is fine when it doesn't adversely affect anyone else; but in my opinion it cannot it be justified as a mere affirmation of friendship when it promotes a position that results in people suffering and dying. For that reason, I would really like to see Nolan walk back his statement to make clear that he does not support vaccine resistance for people who are eligible.

[SouthernDukie]

A strong statement would hopefully end the distraction as it relates to this current Duke team and Kyrie can just be disconnected from this season’s goals.

The bigger question is will put an end to all the discussion and distraction on this board? I can pretty much guarantee you the Duke basketball team is far less concerned about this than members of the DBR community.

[camion]

The bigger question is will put an end to all the discussion and distraction on this board? I can pretty much guarantee you the Duke basketball team is far less concerned about this than members of the DBR community.

Wait, in addition to being the coaching brain trust isn't DBR also the conscience of the program? I've always thought they should pay us more for the services we provide.





In other news, attempts at humor can be really annoying when one is passionate about a topic.

[johnb]

I'm not sure Jay or Nolan do well when they take on serious subjects. I've always kinda liked Stephen A. He knows his role and is a pro at being outspoken. Jay is not such a pro (yet). And Nolan has only recently been on the admin side; we'll see how well he adjusts to a different sort of responsibility. Coach K isn't perfect, but I don't think he'd make the error of publicly sucking up to one of his old players in order to maintain street cred with 16 year olds. Especially when the covid consequences are continuing to be so horrendous.

Ultimately, Kendrick Perkins made the central point, that he didn't like Kyrie's anti-vaxx stance not because Kyrie was making a personal decision that would cost him money (and hurt his team, which is counting on him) but because Kyrie publicly asserted that he was speaking for the voiceless (my view: or the people who will soon be voiceless because they're intubated).

Just as he was presumably speaking for the voiceless who might otherwise fall off the edge of the earth or who might otherwise think it a good idea to play alongside the best player in the league or who might otherwise believe in dinosaurs or believe that steak is natural or that there have been photos of earth taken from space. One reason to stay past freshman year is that classmates seem likely you to call you on crazy talk before you are able to surround yourself with flunkies, sycophants, and reporters who thrive on controversy and embarrassment. Having said that, it's never clear what sort of impact Kyrie's statement will have. For every kid who wants to be like Kyrie, there may be others who are provoked into thinking seriously about it and come to the opposite decision (or at least a better-thought-out independent decision).

https://twitter.com/DashOfNews/statu...7838335688714?
ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm %5E1448657838335688714%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref _url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebiglead.com%2Fposts%2Fst ephen-a-smith-jay-williams-get-into-heated-debate-over-kyrie-irving-and-covid-vaccine-01fhzkv9raas
https://www.stadiumtalk.com/s/baseba...4b1d597e1747d5

[johnb]

Wait, in addition to being the coaching brain trust isn't DBR also the conscience of the program? I've always thought they should pay us more for the services we provide.
:

I get paid equally well by Duke for my efforts toward coaching, recruiting, and gratuitous morality dispensed from atop a high horse. Haven't you been getting your bitcoin deposits?

[tommy]

At the risk of being pilloried by his admirers and sanctioned by the moderators, I'm going to weigh in here with a few observations and opinions from my perspective.

1. Kyrie Irving is a remarkably talented basketball player. No fan cheered louder for him when he played at Duke. No fan was more disappointed for him and the team when he suffered an injury that kept him on the bench for nearly the entire season. And no fan was more grateful for his enthusiasm in touting "The Brotherhood' as a means of promoting the Duke basketball program after he left. But over the years since he reached the NBA, it appears to me that Kyrie's hunger for attention has led him to exploit his celebrity by making outlandish statements and adopting controversial positions that, in my opinion, have caused him to become an embarrassment to Duke.

2. I understand the concept of "standing by your friend," and I appreciate the underlying sentiment that motivates one to maintain steadfast loyalty when it comes to "supporting" a friend who is taking flak for a "personal decision." But the appropriate form and degree of such "support" should depend on the extent to which that friend's decision is truly "personal" in scope -- that is, whether the potentially negative consequences would be confined to the person making the choice, or could result in harm to other people. In this case, Kyrie Irving's choice not to be vaccinated, and his participation in generating widespread publicity about that choice, renders this much more than a purely "personal" matter. In fact, his decision could have multiple adverse impacts on others -- not only recklessly endangering those with whom he directly or indirectly interacts, but influencing some segment of his massive fanbase to believe that refusing the vaccine is just fine.

3. Under these circumstances, I believe that those who express "support" for Kyrie's "personal decision," either affirmatively or tacitly, have gone too far, because they are effectively endorsing a dangerous stance. This is not some silly game of innocuous foolishness, like proclaiming that the Earth is flat. Kyrie's behavior is sowing distrust and fueling resistance to the only remedy we have with proven reliability. Discouraging COVID vaccinations, whether actively or only by example, perpetuates the spread of the virus, and thereby facilitates continued unnecessary suffering -- physical, psychological, social, and economic. "Standing by your guy" is fine when it doesn't adversely affect anyone else; but in my opinion it cannot it be justified as a mere affirmation of friendship when it promotes a position that results in people suffering and dying. For that reason, I would really like to see Nolan walk back his statement to make clear that he does not support vaccine resistance for people who are eligible.

Amen. Perfectly stated.

[Papa John]

In other news, attempts at humor can be really annoying when one is passionate about a topic.

I've started—then deleted (given the volatile, sensitive nature of the topic)—numerous light, humorous responses to at least a dozen posts in this thread... This whole situation is a South Park episode just waiting to be written (in fact, it's largely writing itself)...

[dukelifer]

Who are these "voiceless" of which you speak? Seem pretty loud to me.

I think voiceless is defined as anyone without 20,000 Twitter followers.

[budwom]

Amen. Perfectly stated.

I would only quibble a teeny bit with my friend Mr. Gator to the extent that I think the flat earth stuff is a bit more than foolishness...I liked it when Wilbon really denounced it on PTI when Kyrie first mentioned it...

[dudog84]

I think voiceless is defined as anyone without 20,000 Twitter followers.

I know you're being humorous (thank you) but you just made me a little sad.

[bundabergdevil]

Maybe replace “drawing in” with “enveloping” in the thread title?

My two cents. Spend how you’d like.

[stingy]

Very well said, Stray, and I agree in wishing Nolan says something. I also agree that it probably does concern the DBR board more than others but as someone who was classmates with J-Will, really likes Nolan, and is married to a doctor, those guys defending him on this does bother me. Not to mention that I live in Carrboro so I’m surrounded by Carolina fans!

[gep]

From the ACC media days a few days ago.

On Tuesday, at the ACC Tipoff news conference in Charlotte, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked if he’d been in contact with his former player and had any comments about his decision. Krzyzewski said he exchanges texts with Irving “every once in a while” and had just been in contact with him last week when he sent a photo of Duke’s players wearing one of Irving’s signature Nike shoes and saying how much they liked them. But they have not spoken about COVID-19 vaccines. “No I haven’t talked to him,” Krzyzewski said on Tuesday, when asked about Irving’s decision not to get vaccinated. “That’s his decision.” Krzyzewski and his wife, Mickie, are fully vaccinated and have already received their booster shots.

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/...#storylink=cpy

Isn't this essentially saying the same thing as Coach Nolan?

[Blue in the Face]

Maybe replace “drawing in” with “enveloping” in the thread title?

My two cents. Spend how you’d like.

If we're editing, then maybe also replace "program" with "internet fanbase".

[CDu]

Isn't this essentially saying the same thing as Coach Nolan?

Contextually not really. Coach K was asked a direct question about it. His answer was brief and essentially a dismissal of the topic in as bland a way possible, and he clarified that he is vaccinated.

Nobody asked Smith’s opinion on the matter. He went out of his way to tell the world he supports Irving and did so in an antagonistic remark to those who disagree with Irving.

Quite different.

[gep]

Contextually not really. Coach K was asked a direct question about it. His answer was brief and essentially a dismissal of the topic in as bland a way possible, and he clarified that he is vaccinated.

Nobody asked Smith’s opinion on the matter. He went out of his way to tell the world he supports Irving and did so in an antagonistic remark to those who disagree with Irving.

Quite different.

Cdu... thanks for your comment. The bolded is how I initially read Coach K's full response. But as you say, context matters, and without context and only those words "his decision", I thought it might "sound the same" to some.

[OldPhiKap]

Wow, TD Syracuse!

[NYBri]

But how will all this effect playing time?