Kyrie Irving 'grieving' after Doncic trade - 'Miss my hermano' - ESPN
PHILADELPHIA — Speaking for the first time publicly since the Dallas Mavericks stunningly dealt Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving said «it's still a grieving process» right now for he and his teammates that Doncic is gone, while also saying he was excited about the prospect of finally getting to play alongside longtime friend Anthony Davis.
«Just really shocked,» Irving said after scoring 34 points in 42 minutes in a 118-116 loss to the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. «You just don't imagine you're going to get ready to go to sleep and then you find out news like that.
»It's still a grieving process right now. I miss my hermano."
In what continues to be a surreal scene around the Mavericks in the wake of the Doncic trade that continues to reverberate across the NBA, Irving wasn't asked a single question about Tuesday's game, which saw Dallas fumble away a chance to tie or win the game in the final seconds.
Instead, every question centered on Irving's reaction to the trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis and on his past links to playing alongside Davis. And, at several points, Irving made it clear he's still sorting through his emotions over seeing Doncic leave after the two led Dallas to the NBA Finals less than a calendar year ago.
«This is a business, it's way above my pay grade, and I've just got to adjust and be ready to welcome in my new teammates with open arms and kind of be ready to go back to Dallas, too, to speak in front of our fans,» Irving said. «I know they are feeling it, too. I'm feeling it too, guys. So, yeah, it's just an adjustment period. I don't want to downplay this, either, or disrespect our new guys. They're going to help us win, and