Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai believes NBA players are "difficult to manage"

The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the most drama-filled teams in the NBA for the past few years. Joseph Tsai purchased the Nets for $2.3 billion and became the majority owner in 2019.

He has overseen multiple instances of star players with the Nets demanding trades and creating off the court drama.

Tsai made his money as a chairperson of the Alibaba Group. He has since commented on the struggles of being a NBA owner in the time of player empowerment.

“Believe me, I manage a basketball team and the players are very difficult to manage,” said Tsai. “If you’re in Hollywood, it’s very, very difficult to manage people.”

He made the comments during a discussion about artificial intelligence’s effect on the entertainment industry.

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Detailing the drama in Brooklyn Nets

Tsai and the Nets signed star Kevin Durant and guard Kyrie Irving in 2019. Durant sat out the season with an injury but then led the Nets in 2020. Irving was known to be mercurial and had an inconsistent season, missing multiple games in the first season.

In 2021, the Nets added another All-Star in James Harden. The three players struggled through injuries and off-court tensions throughout the season.

Irving did not vaccinate against COVID-19 and could not play in home games due to covid regulations in New York during the 2021 season.

The next season Harden demanded a trade citing the team’s disorganization. He was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Brooklyn Nets received Ben Simmons in the trade. Simmons has also struggled to find his footing with Brooklyn. He has only played in 42 games so far with Brooklyn.

Irving was also suspended this season for sharing a link to an anti-semitc documentary on his social media. He refused to apologize initially and was forced to sit out eight games.

This season, Irving and Durant both separately demanded trades from the Brooklyn Nets. Durant was sent to the Phoenix Suns and Irving was sent to the Dallas Mavericks.

Due to the injuries, vaccine mandates and suspensions, the three All-Stars played only 16 games together in Brooklyn. They won 13 of them.