Kyrie Irving's Pregame Ritual Divided Nets Locker Room

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According to former Brooklyn Nets player Džanan Musa, Kyrie Irving would burn sage in the locker room before practices and ask teammates to wait outside until he finished. Musa said he didn't agree with the ritual but understood it was part of Irving's personality as a franchise centerpiece. The sage burning, a spiritual cleansing tradition in some Native American communities, was one example of how Irving operated differently within the shared team space.

Why it matters

Irving's pregame rituals highlight the challenges of managing strong individual beliefs and practices within a team environment. As a star player, Irving was able to set the tone, but this created tension and division among his teammates who didn't share his spiritual practices.

The details

Musa described how before each practice, Irving would light sage and ask his teammates to wait outside the locker room until he finished the ritual. Musa said, "Kyrie is a guy who lives in his own movie. You can be there, but he's still doing his own thing." While Musa didn't agree with the ritual, he felt there was little he could do as a role player to challenge Irving's behavior as the franchise centerpiece.

• Irving joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, one year after the team drafted Musa in 2018.

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