Kyrie Irving is expected to be Brooklyn's alpha dog this year while Kevin Durant recovers from an Achilles injury, but wants to make it clear that a group effort will determine the direction of the team.
Irving told reporters Tuesday that his teammates will have some say as well.
"I think that we all share a certain responsibility in the leadership here," Irving said. "I think that some of my past experiences, there could be a sense of alienation when you think about someone naming you as just the leader of the team and falling all in your court.
"I want to share those responsibilities with those guys — obviously we have different roles, that every single night there's a consistency that you have to live up to, and your game. But overall, there shouldn't be a different communication that I have with (Dzanan) Musa or Caris (LeVert) just because I am a nine-year vet, or anything like that."
Irving's leadership style was questioned when he clashed with some of his teammates on the Celtics last year and Boston failed to live up to lofty championship expectations.
But now the star point guard is in a completely different situation as he attempts to put a Brooklyn team that has never won an NBA title on the map.
"This is just one accord, one team, one common voice," Irving said. "We all share our own experiences and we want to use that to become better as a team. So yeah, individually we have our own leadership, but as a group, we all share that responsibility."
Irving, a six-time All-Star, is entering his ninth NBA season and averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game last year.
He'll make his Nets debut Oct. 23 as Brooklyn hosts the Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m. ET.