A closer look at Kyrie Irving's flat earth theory
Hey, look. This is a man trying to make a statement. I watched the video below repeatedly, partly to extract quotes, but mainly because I love it. His smiles and smirks throughout the entire video tell all you have to know. He is playing with us. He is screwing with our minds. He is trying to get our attention. All of the following quotes are taken from the video. The first one clarifies the fact that he doesn't believe that the world is flat. He truly believes it's trapezoidal. Just kidding! He doesn't. I don't want to start something. Kyrie's quote about a flat world was: "That would be scientifically impossible."
I had to start his quotes with that one. He knows the earth could not exist as an enormous flat object. He is finally getting the limelight. I swear that in the near future when he is interviewed after a game, he will be constantly looking over his shoulder away from the camera to see if Lebron James is going to step in front of him. Here comes another quote about his flat-world idea:
The fact that that's what everyone got out of the podcast. That's hilarious!
This is a guy having fun. As I have written in the past in CelticsLife, I was impressed by the intelligence Irving displayed at the introductory Press Conference. I am also impressed by the interview on this video. Irving may find the world's reaction to the infamous podcast hilarious, but he may also be a bit disappointed. The media members were far too serious. They needed to chill and have some fun with him, as he did with them. They were no match for Kyrie, and it showed.
The fact that this could be news all over the world. The fact that it's a social phenomenon.
What Kyrie is telling us is that his thoughts and views of the world don't matter all that much. And such a ridiculous claim getting so much attention (science teachers are really upset) proves the point. Really, what a petty issue. It is obvious that Irving thinks on a higher level.
When I give seminars on health and lifestyle change, I usually have a bottle of water next to me. If I am losing the audience and need to inspire thought, I take a swig and then tell them that this water contains a significant number of molecules of Julius Caesar's urine. And then I go into the cycle of urination, evaporation, cloud movement, molecular dispersion and rainfall to prove it.
They don't see molecules. Nor do they see urine. They sure as hell don't see Julius Caesar (hopefully!). They only see water. They don't believe me. You will never read my stuff again, will you? I must admit that I need a science-savvy audience to make that one fly.
That is what Kyrie did, although he would have a tough time scientifically proving his statement. But remember, he already disputed his claim. He said a flat earth was scientifically impossible. He knows that. He is telling us not to believe everything we hear and only part of what we see.
Kyrie Irving is going to be fun to watch and listen to. We are lucky to have him here, and our team is about as likable and talented as you see in this league.
I can't leave this alone yet. Too much fun. In the NBA podcast, Irving talks about the flat earth in terms of "...landscape of the way we travel, the way we move...". He is talking about walking along a flat beach or a flat road. He is referring to what we personally experience, not what we hear from the media or anyone else. He is referring to small areas. Here is a reference to the shape of the earth, per Wikipedia:
The idea of a planar or flat surface for Earth, however, is still sufficient for surveys of small areas, as the local topography is far more significant than the curvature.
Sounds a bit like what Kyrie was describing, doesn't it. He doesn't sound so unschooled or crazy, does he? Oh, and I was wrong when I wrote that the earth is spherical. It is not exactly. It is an oblate spheroid. I had to clear that up before I left. Some nerd would have corrected me. The following is a Wikipedia definition of oblate Spheroid. Please take note of the phrase Earth is flattened. Kyrie, I'm doing the best I can.
Since the Earth is flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator, geodesy represents the shape of the Earth with an oblate spheroid.
One other point. In the same NBA podcast, the guys are discussing Neil Armstrong's moon landing and moon walk, questioning whether it actually occurred. They are not saying it did not happen. They simply have a question about it. As a young police officer attending a training session, I listened as one of the attendees brought up Armstrong's landing and walk on the moon. The lecturer, a very sharp Boston Police Detective didn't miss a beat: "You actually believe that?" He did not say that he did not believe it happened. He was merely saying what the podcast crew was saying. Don't believe everything you hear and see. Question things.
There you have it. A lot of fuss over nothing. The podcast crew was having fun, and the good times continued with the Kyrie flat earth interviews. But if Irving starts saying he was abducted by aliens, I might start to worry. Or maybe not. I would know what he was doing. Here is what I feel happened to Kyrie, via IZQuotes:
“Sometimes we are inclined to class those who are once-and-a-half witted with the half-witted, because we appreciate only a third part of their wit.”
―Henry David Thoreau
Kyrie Irving is preparing to become the face of the Boston Celtics. If that occurs, the media should be better-prepared to verbally spar with him. He will be a handful for them. A handful on the court and in interviews. Looks like a fun season. What do you fans think of Kyrie's flat earth quote now that he is one of us?
Photo credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Europe
Video via DaSkarekrow
