Kyrie Irving became a positive influence for the Dallas Mavericks this season. However, it was not anticipated when he was brought into the franchise. Many doubted his role around existing star Luka Doncic, but the duo proved them wrong.
After showcasing his skills in the regular season, Irving continued to drop remarkable performances in the playoffs, but he couldn’t get rid of the “1B” tag. Addressing the matter, the guard said, “To be honest, I don’t care. I leave that for the words that everybody’s throwing around. I just care about winning basketball.”
Irving and Luka have formed an inseparable bond over the season. Although both have performed phenomenally, Irving’s achievement is often overshadowed by the Slovenian’s. Despite being labeled as the “1B,” he doesn’t mind providing the 25-year-old with the support he has been giving.
The former Cavs guard has made his intentions clear that he wants to bag another Larry O’Brien Trophy with his Mavs teammates and is working every bit for it on and off the court with his experience. In the third game of the Western Conference Finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kyrie Irving showed his high ceiling by putting up a joint game-high 33 points, of which 14 points came from the final quarter.
The 32-year-old hit 12/20 shots from the floor and 3/6 from the deep. Luka recorded the same points, and the team finished with a 116-107 win on Sunday night. Irving received praise from the Mavs head coach for his remarkable impact on the team.
Jason Kidd Has High Praises for Kyrie Irving
During the post-game presser, Jason Kidd showered Kyrie Irving with loads of praise for his exceptional role as an integral part of the team and, at the same time, supporting Luka Doncic.
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Kidd showed confidence in his guard, saying, “He doesn’t mind being second or 1B. You just don’t find that a lot of times in this league. He will show when he needs to show and he’s done that with Luka this season.”
After struggling to settle in the previous franchises, Irving appears to have found his perfect place in the league. Under Irving and Luka’s leadership, the Mavs have taken a 3-0 lead in the series, and a single win on Tuesday in Game 4 would push them to the NBA Finals.
