How Long Will The Real Kyrie Irving Last?
How long will the real Kyrie Irving last? He is one of the best players in the NBA and his Dallas Mavericks are going to the NBA Finals. Irving has always been a great player. But he hasn’t always been such a likable player. In fact, he has bounced from team to team as a bit of a malcontent.
He played a few games during his freshman-one-and-done season at Duke with Mike Krzyzewski and moved on to the NBA where he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2016 Irving hit the game winning shot for the NBA championship but a year later demanded a trade because he didn’t want to be in LeBron James’ shadow.
The Cavs dealt him to Boston where he seemed to embrace load management and fighting or ignoring the media. When that didn’t work out he signed with the Nets as a free agent. The Nets were supposed to be a dream team with Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden. Do to injuries, load management and Irving’s personal decision to avoid getting a Covid vaccination (not a criticism, just pointing out a fact), this trio did not play many games together. Plus there was the fact that Steve Nash was a first time head coach where Irving said we don’t need a coach, or “We’re all co-coaches,” thus this team was headed for disaster. Nash lost his job and all three players bolted elsewhere.
THE REAL KYRIE IRVING
Ultimately, Irving got traded to the Dallas Mavericks where pundits said Irving could not exist with Luka Doncic. Their first season together they didn’t play defense and didn’t make the playoffs. But this year they made the playoffs and completed a run through the Western Conference and will play in the NBA Finals. Along the way, Kyrie Irving not only played great but he seems happy and he seems to be getting along with everybody.
![Luka Doncic #77 high fives the real Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the Western Conference Second Round Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 07, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.](https://espnswfl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/60/2024/05/GettyImages-2151977890_1717166333_.jpg?w=1024)
For all the latest on the real Kyrie Irving and the NBA Finals tune into Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida.