After everything they went through together on the Brooklyn Nets, one might think that Kevin Durant still holds resentment toward his former teammate and co-star, Kyrie Irving. But on Thursday, there was nothing but love for Uncle Drew as Kevin called him the “most skilled player ever” to play the game.
“I think he’s the most skilled ever to play the game. I think that there’s nothing he can’t do with a basketball,” said Durant to Dallas Basketball. “So, it doesn’t matter what setting it is. He could do the same thing regardless if he’s playing Team USA, NBA, NBA Finals, Playoffs, Streetball, or Rec Ball. He can do it. He can play his game anywhere. That’s just a testament to how great he is and how hard he works.”
Irving and Durant were supposed to meet on Wednesday for the big Western Conference showdown between the Suns and Mavericks. Sadly, Irving was a late scratch from the game with a sprained thumb and it helped secure an easy win for Phoenix. Even so, it’s safe to say that both stars are doing better after their breakup and neither are likely to have regrets about how it all went down in Brooklyn.
A Disastrous Partnership
Kevin Durant left the Warriors in 2019 specifically for a chance to play with Kyrie, and they joined the Nets together that summer after much speculation about their free agency plans. At first, things looked fine enough for Brooklyn and they looked like a contender when Durant returned to the court in the following season. But it didn’t take long for things to go wrong.
Right out of the gate, there were some issues with head coach Steve Nash, who was hand-picked by the star duo when they first joined the team. But those problems were exacerbated during the COVID lockdowns when Irving was M.I.A. due to his refusal to get the vaccine. In their final stretch together in Brooklyn, Durant and Irving provided a glimpse of dominance on the court that was surrounded by chaos and dysfunction at every turn and they barely got time to play together before it all came crashing down. By the time Durant was traded to the Suns, the Nets were left in complete ruin, with nothing but Ben Simmons and Mikal Bridges to show for what was supposed to be the NBA’s newest dynasty.
Fresh Start In Dallas
As Kevin Durant aims for a better tenure with the Suns, Kyrie Irving is living his best life as a Maverick. After the trade from Brooklyn, he’s been solid for Dallas with averages of 25.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game on 47.2% shooting this season. So far, Irving has been all business with the Mavericks and is finally showing that he can play basketball without any added drama.
As for his status as the “most skilled” player ever, Durant isn’t the only one to hand this title to Irving. Over the years, several players, including Tracy McGrady, Kendrick Perkins, and Chauncey Billips, have expressed a similar opinion. With Irving, his amazing ball-handles and shot-creating abilities are truly unmatched in the NBA and when you talk about skills on the court, there’s nothing that Kyrie cannot do… unless it’s on the defensive end.
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