Kyrie Irving has one of the best handles the game of basketball has ever seen. The Brooklyn Nets star has earned a big reputation thanks to this, using this tool to his advantage, scoring a lot of points, creating opportunities for his teammates, and more. Kyrie has always boasted of this ability, but in recent years, it has become his signature whenever people talk about him.
Irving can handle both and finish at the rim with both hands, which makes him a big threat to rivals. If you try to make him go right, he’ll take care of things, and it’s the same if you force him to go left.
One could say this is a big talent given to Kyrie, but in fact, it was a strategy to make him a double threat with the basketball in his hands. In fact, Kyrie had revealed he was left-handed when he was born and was pushed to become ambidextrous as he grew up.
Kyrie Irving Reveals He Was Born A Lefty
During a recent appearance on Uninterrupted’s The Shop, Maverick Carter asked Kyrie about a big shot he made over Draymond Green in the 2016 NBA Finals. He went left and finished with his left, which was impressive for many people who know ball. That’s when Kyrie revealed that he was born a lefty and was forced to use his right hand to have more abilities (12:36).
“Catholic school didn’t let me stay left-handed… Absolutely [I was left-handed]. I was getting slapped on the hand for writing with my left hand. That was old-school, this was 96.”
Actress Drew Barrymore wanted to know more about this, and she asked Kyrie about what he feels when he touches the ball with his left hand.
“[It feels] natural,” he added. “Both sides of my brain are unlocked, if you’re asking me.”
What started as something painful and annoying for Kyrie surely turned out to be great for him. Now he has one of the best handles in the history of the game, driving rivals crazy every time he sets foot on the court. Controversial and polarizing as he is, Kyrie is an incredible talent that will be hard to watch in the NBA again.
He talked about his mentality on the court and also about losing, revealing that he’s constantly learning and putting himself in situations where people are going after the same goal he’s trying to reach. He’s obviously learned from everybody and everything he’s experienced in his life, and one of the biggest examples of that is the fact that he used to be a lefty, was forced to his other hand, and now they both are lethal.
