From a maximum salary of 300 million to a minimum contract renewal, he became the most controversial star in the NBA! He broke up with Harden again, and it s time to retire

Editor|Lao Kankanqiu

Since the NBA offseason, many teams in the league have made reinforcements, and what is most noticeable is that the following four teams: the defending champion Thunder successively offered the boss Alexander 285 million US dollars (the first salary in NBA history), the second boss Jewish 5-year maximum salary of US$289 million, and the third boss Chett 5-year maximum salary of US$239 million, and spent 813 million US dollars to continue to win the championship; the Rockets introduced Du The powerful players such as Rand, Finney Smith, Capela, and other powerful figures are definitely better than those of the Thunder on paper. The Nuggets made the first magical operation, and exchanged Porter Jr. for 3D marksman Cameron Johnson, and then strengthened high-quality puzzles such as Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, and Valanán, becoming one of the biggest favorites to win the championship in the new season; the Clippers went against the road, winning veterans such as Bill and Paul at a basic salary, with an average age of 33.2 years old, setting the largest record in NBA history, but the lineup is very reasonable, and their strength should not be underestimated.

However, there is another team in the West that cannot be underestimated, that is the Dallas Mavericks. Last season, when General Manager Nick Harrison traded Doncic, the top five super giant in the league, to the Lakers, it instantly caused huge controversy and was also criticized by Dallas fans. However, after only more than three months, when the Mavericks won the No. 1 pick with the record of 11th to the league (the probability of the No. 1 pick is only 1.8%, the fourth lowest in NBA history), everyone suddenly realized that there was a figure in the league behind this deal.

When the Mavericks used the "unexpected" No. 1 pick and selected Flag, the team's paper strength also came to the surface. Irving + Flag + Thick Brows led the team's "three top pick lineup", as well as powerful players such as Clay + Gafford + PJ - Washington + Russell, and also have the capital to compete for the top six in the West. But to talk about the true core of this team, the young Flag is still very experienced and Thick Brows is an outsider, Irving? Obviously even more embarrassing.

After Doncic left the team, the Mavericks intend to let Irving lead the team. As a result, at the end of the regular season last season, Irving accidentally suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his left knee, and was reimbursed in advance. The most important thing is that after the operation, it is expected to have to rest for 9-12 months, which also means that it will be difficult for Irving to return to the team in the first half of the next season.

Therefore, the plan of the Mavericks management to renew Irving's contract with a maximum salary of 314 million yuan in five years was also shelved, but instead completed the minimum contract renewal at a "fracture price of 119 million yuan" for 3 years. This is indeed not high for Irving, who is top in the league in football skills + scoring ability, but from another perspective, it is indeed suitable.

data shows that in the past five years, Irving's attendance rate has only 68%, and his fancy ball-holding ability is indeed accompanied by huge injury risks. According to NBA medical expert Jeff Stotts, this is the third time he has suffered a serious knee injury in his career. For Irving, who is 33 years old, this serious injury may cause his athletic ability to decline sharply. If his condition declines after his comeback, Irving may not escape the huge doubts of "high salary and low ability".

And injury is not Irving's most controversial place, and the hidden locker room risks are his biggest problem.

Just recently, when Irving was a guest on the American media podcast, he began to bombard his former teammates again. When talking about the regret of the Big Three who failed to win the championship during the Nets, Irving talked about Harden and said: "The day before, I told Harden that we would win the championship, and he applied for a deal the next day!"

"I can't be angry that others made the best decision for him." Irving seemed generous in the live broadcast, but he did not forget to emphasize: "He (Harden) doesn't know what will happen in the future..." The words in his words quietly shifted the responsibility for failing to win the championship. In fact, when Irving's artillery fire was aimed at his former teammate, he seemed to selectively forget the past when the Brooklyn Big Three fell apart due to his vaccine storm after only 16 games. In Brooklyn's short "big three era", the conflict between Irving and Harden is no longer a secret: When Irving was banned from New York's epidemic prevention policy for refusing to get vaccinated, Harden carried the team alone and staggered forward. In the end, he was injured in a hamstring in the playoffs due to overwork and returned with illness and was attacked and dragged down by the team. On February 10, 2022, Harden finally left 76 people in Philadelphia.

What's more ironic is that after only more than a month, New York lifted the ban and Irving regained the qualification to play full-time, but unfortunately it was too late. Not to mention who is right or wrong during the Nets period, it is not the first time that Irving's back-slammed his old club and teammates, and this is also the reason why he is so controversial.

Time is turned back to 2017, and Irving during the Knights period begins to appear to be "reverse". When ESPN reporters asked about his choice to leave LeBron James, he said bluntly: "Money cannot buy happiness and happiness." In order to seek leadership, he gave up his $5.8 million trading margin and went to Boston. At that time, he regarded Kobe as a spiritual totem: "Father ranked first, Kobe second." This statement was interpreted by the outside world as a subtle cut on James.

During 2021, after joining the Nets, Irving was visiting his old club, the Celtics: holding sage in hand to "purify" the arena and deliberately stepping on the team logo, which twice provoked completely angered the Celtics. When the drink bottle hit Irving, he responded with a middle finger, in exchange for a penalty of $50,000 in the league. The Celtics' hatred for Irving continued to this day and has not weakened.

Traveling three teams in eight years, and every time Irving left the field, it was accompanied by gunpowder. Cavaliers fans are heartbroken, Celtics fans are angry, Nets management is relieved - when promises are repeatedly turned into bubbles, trust becomes the most luxurious consumable.

If Irving's condition really declines like a cliff-like reversal of his return this time, will he make trouble again, just like breaking up with his teammates such as James and Harden? If so, he might really be retired by then.