sports: Kyrie Irving Elected as Vice President of NBA Players' Union

Irving will replace Pau Gasol on the NBPA executive committee.

Nets point guard Kyrie Irving was elected as the vice president of the NBA Players' Union on Monday. 

Irving replaces Pau Gasol on the NPBA's executive committee after Gasol's three-year term as vice president expired. Irving will work alongside Players' Union president Chris Paul as well as board members Andre Iguodala, Anthony Tolliver, Bismack Biyombo, Malcolm Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, C.J. McCollum and Garrett Temple. 

"This was the right time for me to run for a leadership position in the NBPA," Irving said on Monday, per

ESPN. "I have been an observer and a participant in union affairs for a while, but for the most part, I was off on the sidelines, supporting our Executive Committee as they made important decisions. At this point in my career, I wanted to join forces with those guys and take a bigger role outside of the basketball court and within our union."

Irving is in his first season with the Nets. He is averaging a career-high 27.4 points, though he's missed 33 of Brooklyn's 53 games due to injury. 

The Nets exit the All-Star break No. 7 in the Eastern Conference at 25–28.