NBA analyst Jalen Rose admitted he made a mistake when he was the lone person to vote Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving to All-NBA 3rd Team.
It’s not easy to own freezing cold takes in sports, but Jalen Rose did it with grace: he actually called himself out for making a big mistake during All-NBA voting.
Rose admitted that he was the “lone person” to vote for Kyrie Irving to make the All-NBA 3rd Team, saying that he needed to “fall on the sword” for casting his ballot with Irving.
Upon hearing the admission, Stephen A. Smith shouted a trademark “what?!” in Rose’s direction.
“I get mesmerized by his talent, but it was a mistake to put him on there,” Rose said as Smith stared him down in disbelief. “And I’m glad that didn’t cause Trae Young to lose his spot, who deserved it more,” Rose added.
Jalen Rose voted for Kyrie Irving over Trae Young for All-NBA 3rd Team
While Young will likely use the snub to fuel his game next season, it’s still embarrassing to see an NBA analyst handing an award to Irving, who played a fraction of the season due to his unvaccinated status.
AllHawks’ Pat Benson recapped all twelve All-NBA voters who snubbed Young in favor of other players, examining some of the more interesting choices. Here’s what Benson had to say about Rose’s pick:
“The eccentric point guard played just 29 games this season. Kyrie Irving’s dribbling is mesmerizing, but putting him on your All-NBA ballot is cause for a well-being checkup. It’s not much different than voting Kanye in 2020.”
In a recent interview with FanSided, Young opened up about how he deals with losses, which tie into a career in which he’s been chronically underrated.
“I guess I really just try to focus on positive things in the games and moments,” Young said. “I don’t try to get too down. There’s this long season, so you’re gonna have losses, but you try to focus on the positive things, and I’ve had to learn that. It’s not something that was with me since day one, but I’ve had people that I’ve talked to that have helped me with this.”
That being said, Young seems to be taking the snub in stride as motivation, meaning that he won’t let Jalen Rose live this one down.