Kyrie Irving has been enjoying life since joining the Dallas Mavericks. He did not gel quickly as he joined the Mavs mid-season. However, after a good off-season break before the 2023-24 season, Irving and Mavs star man Luka Doncic became an offensive force in the NBA, taking the team to the NBA 2024 Finals. Interestingly, former Mavs’ majority owner Mark Cuban opened up on Irving’s rise with the Mavs.
It’s important to note that before Irving’s move to the Mavs, he was dealing with many off-the-court issues. His rift with the sneaker brand Nike saw his shoe deal canceled. Then, Irving’s reluctance to take a vaccine led to the Brooklyn Nets trading him.
In a recent appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Cuban revealed how the Mavs have allowed Irving to be ‘himself.’
Ky is the dude that is sitting there talking about world peace. Why aren’t we fixing this? How do we end hunger? He has got a heart of gold. He was like Mark, I just want to be myself, lead the way I want to lead, and be creative, and he found a great deal, and he has been making it work. If you notice the deals he has signed since he has come to us, there are no problems.
Mark Cuban said
“If you notice the deals Kyrie has signed since he came to us, there are no problems. There are no issues because we just let Ky be Ky. When you do that, good things happen.” – @mcuban pic.twitter.com/6QndlMRyqF
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) September 29, 2024
The Mavs have given Irving complete freedom. He signed a contract with Anta, a Chinese sneaker company, and the ANTA KAI 1, inspired by Irving’s tenure with the Duke Bluedevils, was recently unveiled. The elaborate design of the sneakers has astounded fans. This showcases Irving’s creative freedom with the Mavs on and off the court.
Brooklyn Nets were fined $50,000 regarding Kyrie Irving vaccine controversy
Kyrie Irving wanted to win an NBA championship with his close buddy Kevin Durant when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets. However, that was not feasible right away as COVID-19 struck. Irving refused to comply with the New York vaccination requirement, which resulted in him missing home games.
Notably, Irving was present in the locker room for a Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks game. This led to the Nets being fined $50,000 by the NBA for violating local New York City law and league health and safety protocols.
Nevertheless, Durant spent a significant portion of his postgame interview pleading with New York City Mayor Eric Adams to alter the requirement, saying that it was “ridiculous” that individuals who are not vaccinated could enter the arena but not participate in sports.
In the end, many other issues further arose between Irving and the Nets which resulted in him leaving the team and his wish to win an NBA title with his good friend Durant remained unfulfilled. It remains to be seen if this wish ever comes true before Irving hangs up his boots.
