Even though if he doesn’t do it on purpose, Kyrie Irving keeps educating NBA fans about different stuff not necessarily related to basketball. His second season with the Brooklyn Nets didn’t start well but the point guard is now playing great, having fun and just being himself on and off the court.
Before the Nets’ game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, he was spotted entering the Phoenix Suns Arena with a prayer stick. That was very curious for a lot of fans and some of them didn’t understand what was that and why Kyrie was carrying that stick for a basketball game.
Well, as he’s doing for the last couple of years, the player is embracing his Native American side and whenever he goes to play, he tries to bring some of their traditions and rituals to the court. Although he wasn’t playing against the Suns, Kyrie tried to protect his teammates with this stick.
One Redditor called “GlizzanderHolyfield” explained the meaning behind this, something that is very interesting and respectable from Irving.
The walking stick Kyrie Irving walked into the arena with is actually a Native American Prayer Stick, which is also sometimes referred to as a Spirit Stick or Medicine Stick.
Kyrie is 1/4 Lakota Sioux, and has made an effort to learn more about this part of his ancestry in the past few years. The Sioux tribe uses prayer sticks “to bless the tribe, and any animal prior to its use by the tribe. The holy man also uses the medicine stick to conjure spirits for the protection of warriors while hunting or during battle.”
Kyrie has actually used the prayer stick previously and was filmed walking with one just yesterday before the game vs the Kings.
He is injured right now and his team played without him and Kevin Durant last night, but that wasn’t a problem for the Nets, who were led by James Harden and even returned from a 24-point deficit against the Suns. The Beard led the comeback for the New Yorkers, having a terrific game, with Kyrie and Durant having a lot of fun on the sidelines with Harden’s performances.
KD and Kyrie were HYPED after that Beard go-ahead three 👏 https://t.co/QkqW0UUW8R
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 17, 2021
It was a very good night for the Nets and you could say this stick worked for the 29-year-old. He’s trying to recover from a lower back injury and his teammates survived a big battle against the inspired Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and co.
