Wednesday night will not be a typical game for many Nets.
It would be emotional – the first time they would face former teammate Caris Levert, as he was traded to Indiana and a cancerous mass on his left kidney was detected shortly thereafter.
“I’m just honored and humble to call him a friend, call him brother,” Nets star Kyrie Irving said on Monday. “I want nothing but maximum health and success.
“I love him and my family loves him, so it’s always an honor to go back and see him, and compete for him and even better because I know he’s going to give us our best And that’s what we want. “
LeVert, 26, underwent surgery to remove the mass and performed surgery before making a comeback on Saturday. On Wednesday, he will be seen defeating his old team in his new home.
Levert has expressed no bitterness for the Nets in the James Harden trade. In fact, he is grateful. To complete the trade, he has to undergo a thorough physical examination. Indicates renal cell carcinoma of the kidney.
“In a way this trade showed up and revealed what was going on in my body,” Levert said after being diagnosed in mid-January. “So I’m definitely looking at it from that side and am definitely humbled to know that this business can save me in the long run.”
Prior to the Harden deal, Levert had become an integral piece for the Nets. Out of Michigan, the 20th pick overall in the 2016 draft and dealt with the Nets on the same night, Leviert joined Brooklyn early in his rebuilding. His progress was slowed by a variety of injuries, but last summer Levert began to show his promise.
With several key players during the bubble for various reasons, Levert took advantage, scoring 25 points from the Nets’ eight matches. Before the Nets dealt him in the Harden deal, he scored 18.5 points and had 6.0 assists in 12 games.
In two matches with the Pacers, Levert won with an average of 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 wins over the Suns and a loss to the Nuggets. But it was important for him to play in just one game.
“Two-and-a-half months ago, I didn’t even know if I was going to live here, especially soon after all this would happen,” Levert told reporters after his return. “There is definitely a level of gratitude. Just being happy in court, man.
The Nets will not be where they are in the Eastern Conference favorites without Levert to reach the NBA Finals. His development and progress helped make him an attractive destination for stars such as Irving and Kevin Durant, and without him the Nets might not have been able to swing the trade for Harden.
“We’re really proud that the Caries are returning to play here,” said Nets coach Steve Nash. “He was incredibly well-loved in this organization, a world-class human, a terrific basketball player. There is no doubt that everyone is rooted in him. “
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