Los Angeles Lakers veteran Jared Dudley recently took notice of controversial remarks by Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving and indicated that Irving still needs to learn how to play the game.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Heavy.com wrote that Irving took direct aim at the Nets organization and members of the team.
“Recently, Irving stated that it was ‘glaring’ that the Nets ‘need one or two more pieces to complement’ himself, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan, Garrett Temple, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert,” Robinson wrote.
During a subsequent interview with Robinson, Dudley offered an opinion on Irving’s recent blunt criticism and indicated that a more nuanced approach is something Irving should consider.
“When you’re a star sometimes honesty is not the answer and those are more for role players like myself, I bet you there’s a lot of stuff LeBron [James] feels or wants to say but it’s a game,” Dudley said. “He has to learn how to play the game the right way. Not to take the heat off of himself, but to take the heat off of the organization and his teammates. Because at the end of the day, Kyrie is going to do what he wants to do but you don’t want to affect the organization and the players’ energy you need the most to win games.”
Irving’s remarks sparked a backlash in the New York media, but it’s not the first time that comments from the 10-year guard have caused an uproar.
While playing for his previous teams in Cleveland and Boston, Irving also offered remarks that either raised eyebrows or drew criticism.
Dudley, who played for the Nets last season, has managed to play 13 seasons in the NBA, the majority of those contests in a reserve capacity.
Unlike Irving, Dudley’s modest statistics and status likely don’t afford him the same type of freedom to express himself.
However, the 34-year-old Dudley has been around long enough to understand how to deal with the media, with the Lakers being his seventh team in his 13 years.
That knowledge would undoubtedly be of benefit to Irving, if he chooses to take the advice offered. The question as to whether he actually will is another issue entirely.
As for Dudley, he and the Lakers are focused on playing their first game since the death of Kobe Bryant. That will take place Friday night, when they host Portland at Staples Center, in what promises to be an emotional night.
