In a chat with the Ring’s Ryan Russell, Warriors legend Andre Iguodala revealed which player he’s more scared of taking the final shot of a tie game. Instead of picking either of his backcourt teammates (Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson), he chose the guy they clashed with during three different Finals: Kyrie Irving.
“I’m going with Kyrie,” said Iggy. “You’re talking about fear factor at any given moment or for like that moment, Kyrie. With Steph, he’s proven to teams that you can double him. And if you can try to just get the ball out of his hands then I guess that’s the way to combat him. But with Kyrie he’s just so good like you can’t get the ball out of his hands. Allen Iverson said Kyrie was the best ball handler in NBA history and I’ve been told that I was crazy for saying that. You talk about fear factor, when you ask just about anyone in the league, that’s a scary guy.”
Kyrie Irving may be somewhat controversial over his beliefs and quotes, but his game is widely revered in the NBA community — and for good reason. Kyrie Irving’s skill with the ball is unprecedented and his amazing handles have raised the bar for every point guard moving forward. In the biggest moments, Irving is arguably at his best and his track record for stepping up in the clutch is among the more impressive aspects of his career.
Irving, an 8x All-Star, is already a lock for the Hall of Fame. Boasting career averages of 25.9 points 5.2 assists, and 51 rebounds per game 49.5% shooting, he’s considered among the best guards in modern basketball history. While he’s not on Stephen Curry’s level, Irving’s reputation as a big-time shot maker rivals that of anyone in the league and it’s earned him the respect of his peers, like Andre Iguodala and other former players.
Kyrie Irving’s Game 7 Three-Pointer Is the Most Clutch Shot In NBA History?
The 2016 Finals may be the direct reason why Kyrie Irving’s clutch play left such a strong impression on Andre Iguodala. He had a front-row seat to, perhaps his greatest show ever. That summer, after coming off a tough Thunder series, Golden State was hoping to win back-to-back titles and cement their place in history. Instead, they lost the series thanks partially to their own mistakes and the sheer greatness of the Cavaliers’ duo, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
Together, the duo led the Cavaliers to a massive 4-3 series win, which stands as one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history. The highlight of that comeback came in Game 7, with the very Finals itself on the line. After LeBron’s amazing game-saving block a few plays before, Irving rose for a clutch three-pointer which he nailed with ease. The Cavaliers took the lead with that shot and went on to win the game to secure the franchise’s first title.
Based on that moment alone, Kyrie Irving has built his reputation as a clutch performer and now he’s got veterans like Andre Iguodala having nightmares over his late-game heroics. Since leaving the Cavaliers, Irving has yet to win anything of note and his latest venture with the Mavericks has yet to bear fruit after a season and a half. Even so, what he did in Cleveland will always shape how he is remembered.
For Stephen Curry, his four championships are proof that he’s just as capable of getting the job done, but he can be easier to contain than Uncle Drew, who has the ability to create space for a shot like nobody else in the league. Even today, he imposes fear in his opponents with his sheer talent and the myriads of ways he can make you pay by putting the ball through the net.
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