Kevin Love Responds To Kyrie Irving Calling Media ‘Pawns’: ‘A Sure Sign Of Disrespect’

After Kyrie Irving appeared to call the media “pawns” who were not worth his “attention” in a post on his Instagram story, his former teammate Kevin Love reacted.

“I’m thankful that we’re all working, you guys are all working. I think that goes without saying right now. I love this game. We’ve been able to pull this off, we’re still able to do this,” Love told reporters on Friday.

“I’m sorry I’m getting deep with this like Kyrie does, but at the end of the day … I just feel like every man, every woman is my superior and that I can learn with them. That’s just how my curiosity really works, and I don’t have fear with that. I’ve talked about not having prejudice with that, I try to live by those words. That’s how I feel. I think that calling anybody a ‘pawn’ is a sure sign of disrespect.”

Irving issued his “media blackout” last Friday in which he indicated in a social media post he would not speak to Nets beat writers or other reporters this season.

On Thursday, the NBA announced it was fining both Irving and the Nets $25,000 for not speaking to the media “on several occasions.”

Irving then doubled down on his blackout in his Instagram story.

“I’ve had enough of someone else’s propaganda,” Irving wrote wrote, quoting Malcolm X, as the New York Post noted.

“I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more.”

According to the NY Post, Irving hasn’t spoke to Nets writers since Jan. 4, but that hasn’t stopped him from making headlines with his words.

In October, Irving made some controversial comments about new Nets coach Steve Nash.

“I don’t really see us having a head coach,” Irving said on the podcast, “The ETCs With Kevin Durant.” Referring to Durant, he said, “K.D. could be a head coach. I could be a head coach.”

Speaking recently on a Zoom with reporters, Nash tried to diffuse the situation.

“I read what he said, and I think it was one phrase at the end of a bunch of things he said about being excited — about having me in this position and coaching — and then maybe taken to another level that seemed incredible in headlines, which is fine,” Nash said. “I’m in a fortunate position where I get to coach Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. What we’ve dealt here in a short period of time with how we’re going to prep and play is exciting. I’m thrilled to get to coach those guys.

“One statement that I don’t think necessarily was completely — wasn’t meant the way it was taken by the press, that doesn’t bother me at all.”

On the podcast, Irving also praised Durant as the first teammate he ever had confidence in taking the last shot in a game, which many interpreted as a slight LeBron James, who admitted the comment “hurt.”

“Once I got the whole transcript, I was like, ‘Damn,’” said James, who played with Irving on the Cavaliers from 2014-17. “I wasn’t like, ‘Oh, you trippin’. I’ve hit game-winning shots my whole life.’ I was not like that. I was like, ‘Damn.’ Because … I played with Kyrie for three seasons.

“The whole time when I was there, I only wanted to see him be an MVP of our league. I only cared about his success. And it just didn’t align. It just didn’t align. And we were able to win a championship [in 2016]. That’s the craziest thing. We were still able to win a championship, and we could never align. But I only cared about his well-being, both on and off the floor. And it kind of hurt me a little bit.”