"Kyrie comes off as being this great philosopher, he comes off as like he's the smartest guy in the room" - Shannon Sharpe condemns Kyrie Irving for his comments on Steve Nash made in 2020

Kyrie Irving's comments in 2020 about not needing a head coach have sparked a lashback ever since.

When Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden joined forces in Brooklyn, the team was, without a doubt, seen as the frontrunners to win the NBA title. Injuries, personal choices and dissonance between Irving, Durant and the front office put Brooklyn on a path that ended in a first-round sweep last season.

On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe spoke about Irving's recent appearance on Uninterrupted's "The Shop." He sounded off his disapproval of his comments on Steve Nash:

"I think this is an epiphany or metamorphosis he's going through that he's realized he made some mistakes, he's said some things, possibly done some things. And for him to come out and admit it, I think that's huge for him.

"Sometimes, going to Duke, guys believe that they're smarter than they actually are, and sometimes Kyrie comes off as being this great philosopher, he comes off as like he's the smartest guy in the room.

"What he said about Steve Nash is unnecessary. That never should have come out of his mouth. I understand the guy's a first-year head coach, but to say that we don't need a coach, I didn't think Kyrie needed to say that."

The Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons trio looks lethal on paper

Kevin Durant, left, and Kyrie Irving.

Despite going through a protracted rough patch, the Brooklyn Nets are finally in a position where all their star players are primed to start the 2022-23 season. More importantly, they have the incentive to do so.

Both Simmons and Kyrie Irving will have something to prove. A severe amount of vitriol has been thrown at both of them, with criticisms ranging from their on-court decisions to their personal lives. Amid all the noise, it is easy to forget how good they are as players.

Irving is a perennial All-Star/All-NBA player, while Simmons is a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. After being the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year, he has since been an All-Star in all three seasons when he has been healthy.

For Kevin Durant, perhaps a bad outing in the playoffs last season raises some questions. But no amount of questioning will see him become any less of a player in the coming season.

On paper, Brooklyn's roster looks unbelievably talented and a lot more balanced than last season. With Royce O'Neale, T.J. Warren, Markieff Morris, Seth Curry and Cameron Johnson part of the bench, the Nets are in an excellent position to be a force in the East.