The saying form is temporary, class is permanent certainly comes to mind when you think of Kyrie Irving.
The Dallas Mavericks star is certainly enjoying his time with the franchise and has built a strong bond with the powerhouse, Luka Doncic.
Irving has been in great form this season and has helped the Mavericks to a 17-10 record in the Western Conference, putting them in fourth place.
The 32-year-old recently revealed Kobe Bryant’s ‘crazy’ advice that helped him to secure the 2016 NBA title while with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Eight-time NBA All-Star, Irving, will now be hoping to win another championship with his new franchise, and the way they’re going there’s no reason why he couldn’t.
The stars form has not gone unnoticed and he was recently praised on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast for his growth since joining the Mavericks.
Carmelo Anthony praises Irving’s perseverance
There has never been any doubting the individual brilliance of Kyrie Irving, there’s a reason why he’s an NBA champion.
However, before joining the Mavericks the star spent an up and down six years with the Boston Celtics and more recently the Brooklyn Nets.
While not exactly flopping in those years he has certainly begun to re-find his best form in Dallas and Carmelo Anthony has praised Kyrie for his attitude.
Speaking on his podcast ‘7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony’ he said: “The fact that you [Kyrie Irving] were able to persevere, stand strong, fall back, be patient, like have a will to lock in to another level.
“We don’t give athletes enough credit when it comes to being able to come back. We kick them when they’re down, we say something when they’re down but when they come back and do it in his fashion where it’s his family, it’s his daughter it’s his wife, he’s over in Asia selling sneakers. He’s got a brand now, he’s bringing culture over there. We can’t go to China, just think about that. He’s bridging gaps so it becomes deeper than basketball.”
Anthony went on to explain the impact that Kyrie is having in Dallas saying: “He’s playing well, they’re winning, the culture he found, he found his home. Shoutout to Mark Cuban for bringing him in and saying ‘Listen I got you you go do your thing I got you,’ Jason Kidd, Luka for being that guy on the team. Kyrie deserves that credit.”
Irving’s number in Dallas explored
When you look at the numbers it’s hard to pinpoint a poor patch for Kyrie during his NBA career which started with the Cavaliers in 2011.
He has not averaged less than 20 points in a season since 2015 and his rebounds and assists have also maintained a consistent level.
Since joining the Mavericks, Kyrie has been a brilliant partner for Doncic who is the franchise guy. They have built a great relationship on and off the court.
| Kyrie Irving | 2022-23* | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| Points | 27.0 | 25.6 | 23.9 |
| Rebounds | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.7 |
| Assists | 6.0 | 5.2 | 5.3 |
The importance of Irving and Doncic was seen clearly in the Mavericks’ last game when they went down 95-118 losers to the LA Clippers.
The Mavericks will certainly be welcoming their star duo back when they entertain the Clippers in a rematch in their next game.
Related Posts
Discussion about this post