Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is one of the elite ball-handlers in the NBA today. Despite experiencing a championship victory in 2016, Irving requested a trade and has since navigated through various teams in search of a suitable role. Irving’s journey led him to join the Dallas Mavericks, where he is currently delivering some of the finest performances of his career.
Recently, during a Twitch streaming session, Kyrie Irving expressed his feelings about the loss against the Celtics in the NBA finals. During the session, Irving talked about his regrets for not helping his team in the Finals.
Irving held himself accountable for the loss to the Boston Celtics. He also stated that he is completely motivated for the next season and will be striving for the championship again.
Last year was definitely a disappointing year from the standpoint of not winning the Finals as a team and coming up short. We got there for a reason. Blood is definitely in the water.
Kyrie Irving via Twitch
Throughout the season, Irving was great and proved to be a great second option on the team besides Luka Doncic. Irving averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in the last regular season. However, his numbers took a big hit during the finals against the Celtics as he averaged 19.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. His efficiency also saw a significant drop during the whole series, and he struggled while making shots.
Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving on losing the NBA Finals and his outlook for this season:
“Last year was definitely a disappointing year from the standpoint of not winning the Finals…We got there for a reason. Blood is definitely in the water. I’m always going to take… pic.twitter.com/glrp3PJzx2
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) September 5, 2024
Irving is 32 years old and on the back end of his prime, but he certainly has a great supporting cast surrounding him. Both Luka Doncic and Irving form one of the best backcourts in the NBA today. The Mavericks are one of the strongest teams in a tough Western Conference and the fans are expecting them to again make a run back to the finals.
Keon Ellis calls Kyrie Irving toughest to guard
Many NBA stars have had great praises for Kyrie Irving during interviews and talk shows. His strong handles and great playmaking skills have time and again rendered everyone speechless. Many have called him the most skilled player the league has ever seen and also the hardest player to guard 1-on-1.
Recently another star had some high words for Irving. On a recent episode of “The Deuce and Mo Podcast,” Keon Ellis, Sacramento Kings star, made an appearance. During the podcast, Ellis was asked about who he finds to be the toughest player to guard.
Without hesitation, Ellis named Kyrie Irving as the player who poses the greatest challenge. He highlighted Irving’s ability to score from both beyond the arc and in the mid-range, praising his exceptional ball-handling skills. Ellis mentioned that Irving effortlessly creates scoring opportunities on the court without appearing to exert much effort.
Ellis was certainly left in awe after facing Irving for the first time. Irving will certainly go down as one of the best ball handlers in the league. He will be aiming to win his second championship in the upcoming season.
