SUMMARY
- Kyrie Irving struggled to find his place in the league despite the many achievements he had under his belt.
- The 32-year-old is currently playing better than ever with the Mavericks with a new found attitude towards life.
Kyrie Irving has been a top gun in the NBA since 2011 and there’s no reason to deny it either. He’s earned a number of accolades since stepping onto an NBA court for the first time. And six years into his illustrious career, the point guard managed to win an NBA title as well. His stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James may never be forgotten, that’s for sure.
LeBron James & Kyrie Irving in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals:
LeBron
41 PTS, 16 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK, 53% FGKyrie
41 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 70% FGIconic duo. 🔥
(via @ThrowbackHoops)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 31, 2024
But after he decided to leave the Cavaliers in 2017, things hit rock bottom. The 8x All-Star hit a couple of roadblocks in his personal life that somehow affected his attitude on the floor. Irving fought a lot of criticism for leaving Cleveland as they could’ve won multiple titles win him on the roster. But he wanted to move on to bigger and better things, which included him being a leader on his team.
From nearly getting boycotted, Kyrie Irving has earned the respect he deserves
Between his stints with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving somehow found himself under the scrutiny of the public. We’re aware that Irving didn’t like being in Boston for various reasons that haven’t been disclosed but his off-court life while he was with the Nets began to come into the limelight. Irving’s first stint with the Nets went by pretty quickly due to injuries and his second year went on quite smoothly.
But the Nets made it to the second round despite the issue, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games. In his third year, Irving only appeared for 29 games after battling the league’s vaccination policy. But they eventually allowed him to participate in venues that didn’t need their players to be vaccinated. The Nets made the playoffs but got swept by the Celtics.
At the start of his fourth season in Brooklyn, Irving was booked for supporting an anti-semitic documentary. As a result, he was suspended indefinitely and asked to attend counseling. The point guard’s multi-million dollar Nike contract was also terminated. His signature shoe line was one of the fastest-selling sneakers in the NBA.
Irving was reinstated, played a total of 40 games, and was shipped from the Nets to the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline in 2023. But the criticism never stopped. The former NBA Champion believed that would stunt Luka Doncic’s growth, especially with the reputation he carried with him. Irving was more or less a public enemy. Fans didn’t like his attitude, nor did Irving realize how much his actions were impacting his role as a player in the league. Unfortunately, the Mavericks missed the playoffs and Irving was blamed yet again.
The Mavericks need to make the best use of Kyrie Irving’s stint
It has been an entire year with the Mavericks organization and Kyrie Irving has finally found himself in a better place, away from all the commotion and the outside noise. His attitude towards the game and his responsibilities has been far more positive and impactful. So much, so that the Mavericks achieved a 52-30 record to secure the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
Irving’s character came under fire especially after he stomped on the Celtics’ logo when the Nets visited the TD Garden. However, his attitude has completely changed in a way that he accepts his wrongdoings from the past. A happy and motivated Kyrie Irving managed to average 25.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game during the regular season.
A few years ago, the entire media was slandering Kyrie Irving. But this amazing brother showed patience and humility.
Now Kyrie is off to the Finals! Good luck 💙 pic.twitter.com/pe72REGNQ8
— Halal Nation (@HalalNation_) May 31, 2024
He’s been the Mavericks’ biggest weapon during the playoffs. He has averaged 22.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while being a threat on defense against players of his stature. Nobody expected the Mavericks to reach the NBA Finals and it so happens to be against the Celtics. Dallas needs to ensure they make great use of the experience and talent the 32-year-old brings to the table.
“There’s a lot of people in the hoop world who owe this man public apologies. Some of y’all tried to bury this dude and kill his career based on what you heard and not what you know… [Kobe] would be proud.”
Former Cavs and Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy took to IG to defend… pic.twitter.com/OmGV0FRdU8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 31, 2024
Things cannot get any better than this. In fact, just over a year ago Irving was slandered by the media and nobody wanted him to be around as much. He has earned to respect of analysts like Stephen A. Smith, who recently uploaded an apology video while the Mavericks were on the verge of winning the Western Conference Finals. Several NBA experts and associates of his have come out to support him in his return to the finals as well.