Kyrie Irving is observing Ramadan, which means he has to fast from dawn to dusk for a month. Irving can’t eat or drink while taking part in high-intensity NBA games that take place before sunset and his Dallas Mavericks teammate Luka Doncic admits it is not something he could do.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it,” Doncic said after the Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets 107-105 on Sunday.
When ESPN’s Tim MacMahon brought up that Irving hit the game-winner too, Doncic stated, “I don’t know, impressive, man. Like I said, he’s different. He’s different.”
(starts at 23:55 mark):
To be fair to Doncic, not many would be able to play while they fast. Irving, who converted to Islam in 2021, deserves a lot of respect for being so committed to practicing his faith. Despite not being able to drink or eat during the game against Denver, the eight-time All-Star also managed to deliver in the clutch.
Irving hit an incredible game-winning hook shot against the Nuggets at the buzzer to finish the night with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. He would have been running on fumes at that point but delivered when it mattered most.
Kyrie had a difficult first half of the season, as he dealt with various injuries, but things are getting better now. The 31-year-old has not missed a game after the All-Star break and is now averaging 25.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game this season. The Mavericks would be hoping he stays healthy the rest of the way.
Getting back to Doncic, he had 37 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals against the Nuggets. Right before Irving’s incredible game-winner, Luka had hit a crucial three-pointer to tie the game. The two stars for the Mavericks have now led them to five wins in the last six games to improve to 39-29 on the season.
Dallas had started 2-5 after the All-Star break and it felt like another disappointing finish to a campaign might be on the cards. The ship has somewhat been steadied now but the Mavericks, who are now seventh in the West, have to ensure they don’t wobble again, as that would severely hurt their chances of avoiding the Play-In Tournament.
Notable NBA Players To Have Also Observed Ramadan
Irving is, of course, not the first to have observed Ramadan while playing in the NBA. Hakeem Olajuwon famously did it during his storied career in the league. Olajuwon would play 40+ minutes per game despite fasting and it didn’t have a negative impact on him on the court. In fact, he stated he felt he had more energy at that time.
In a more recent setting, the likes of Jaylen Brown, Enes Kanter, and Jusuf Nurkic have fasted as well. Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince is one of the players who we know is fasting this year, with his wife sharing a video of him breaking his fast at sunset.
I did not know that Taurean Prince is a Muslim and fasting.
Respect 💯 pic.twitter.com/uHpG3BFByo
— terry (@terryworst) March 17, 2024
All these men deserve a lot of respect. It would be very easy for them to not fast, considering how much energy they have to expend on the court. They still choose to, which shows just how devout and committed they are. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and fasting during it is one of the five pillars of Islam.
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