Kyrie Irving spoke to the media about his relationship with Kobe Bryant. Kyrie noted that he lost his mentor with Kobe’s passing, and while the two didn’t talk every day, there was a connection between the two, and he appreciated that. He also showed love to Bryant’s family.
“I don’t know if anyone here has ever lost a mentor, lost someone that’s older that’s a little bit older than them that meant something to them. Even if you guys didn’t talk every day, there was still that connection that they were gonna always be there for you. It wasn’t just him, it was his family as well, they supported me unconditionally, I miss him every single day.”
Irving added that Kobe inspired not just himself, but millions of supporters all over the world. He shared how Bryant’s approach to life set an example for so many people in the league, and showed him how to pass the torch down to the younger generations, like how Kobe passed it to him.
“Alongside the rest of the world and all the Kobe supporters around the world. Because he held such a big presence. He knew what his power was, what his superpowers were. And they weren’t on the court all the time, his ability to approach life and how he inspired you to do extra when you were tired. His life lessons transcended basketball or any sport, or any entertainment business, it really helped sparks the new brains for this next generation to carry the torch.”
Kyrie concluded by pointing to Bryant’s incredible championship pedigree and mentioned his desire to match that by winning multiple championships like Kobe did in his career.
“That’s what I felt like he was teaching me, to carry the torch but to also know how to pass it along. Obviously along that journey he won a few championships that I’m still enamored with, that I’m still chasing to a certain degree. I do want to be able to sit at that table and say that I have multiple championships.”
“I don’t know if anyone here has ever lost a mentor… Even if you guys didn’t talk everyday, there was still that connection that they were gonna always be there for you… I miss [Kobe Bryant] every single day.”
Kyrie Irving on Mamba’s impact 🫶
(via @JoeyMistretta_) pic.twitter.com/eHDr00qLJv
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 3, 2024
It is clear that Irving thought very highly of Kobe Bryant, especially for how Bryant treated him when he entered the NBA as a young player. Now that Irving is a mentor, he wants to show his respect to Kobe by playing the same role for the next generation of NBA stars, while also continuing to succeed at the highest level like Bryant did.
Kyrie Looking To Win A Championship Against The Celtics Like Kobe Did
Kyrie Irving will definitely be paying attention to Kobe Bryant’s 2010 NBA championship win when Bryant led the Lakers to beat the Celtics to win the NBA championship. Helping the Mavericks win the NBA championship over the Celtics will give Kyrie his second ring.
Irving has had something of a redemption arc this past year. And the playoffs have reminded fans why Irving was considered one of the best players in the NBA, and one of the best playoff performers in the league for so many years. During this playoff run, Irving has averaged 22.8 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds
Irving also spoke about his previous playoff series against the Celtics, and how he wishes he handled it better. He admitted to not taking the criticism and fan backlash well and lashed out. Kyrie added that he considers himself more mature now, and is looking forward to playing against his former team. It will be an interesting series for Irving, especially to see how Celtic fans react to him.
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