Sean Marks Says Kyrie Irving Has Actually Been a Terrific Teammate So Far in Brooklyn

Well, this news is almost guaranteed to exasperate basketball fans up in Beantown.

During a Tuesday press conference, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks did not hesitate to applaud Kyrie Irving's leadership this offseason, claiming that the All-Star point guard has consistently (and voluntarily) participated in his new team's scrimmages and workouts so far.

"The leadership, the work ethic and the competitive nature that he has brought to the group has been terrific," Marks said.

The 44-year-old exec even provided some in-depth insight on Kyrie's elbow injury, which he suffered during a pick-up game with some of his new teammates. "I think this is just a case of doing due diligence. Kyrie goes and gets checked out like we would do with anyone else and we always send staff with them. This is a great opportunity for Kenny to be with him too," he said.

It's reassuring to hear that Irving's elbow ailment isn't considered serious, but the real storyline here is his palpable involvement with his new team given how deeply his character came to be questioned while with the Celtics.

In 2018, the Duke product personified some of the worst leadership skills we've seen in the NBA in quite some time with Boston. He was almost always calling out his teammates and failed to take charge of a locker room desperate for a commander-in-chief to emerge.

Given his stardom, Irving was expected to be that guy. However, he opted to take the alternative aforementioned avenue in an effort to fuel his intentions to leave in the summer.

The 27-year-old superstar wanted a change of scenery and appears to be embracing that opportunity with open arms.

...And that sound you hear is Celtics fans howling like banshees in sheer indignation that he couldn't adapt with their franchise even if his life depended on it.