The Brooklyn Nets managed to secure their spot in the playoffs in mostly comfortable fashion, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night and setting up a first-round series against the Boston Celtics. Kyrie Irving, who has finally become eligible to play nearly all his team’s games during the final weeks of the season, was the star of the show, showing out and dropping 34 points and 12 assists on his former team.
Irving did so while continuing his fasting for the holy month of Ramadan. During this time, one of prayer and self-reflection, Muslims around the world do not eat or drink anything from the time the sun rises to the time that it sets. While they all follow the rules of the fast, this is a time that can pose some difficulty for those Muslims that do strenuous jobs, like athletes playing at the highest level.
And Kyrie was asked about it in his interview after the game, about how he was able to perform despite his routine being different during the month. Irving gave praise to God and explained the strength he finds in being a part of millions of people around the world that are also fasting.
Kyrie explains being able to play at a high level while fasting during the month of Ramadan https://t.co/wF54hhSeVn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 13, 2022
“Well it’s a journey with God, And I’m not alone in this. I have brothers and sisters across the world that are fasting with me. We hold our prayers and our meditations very sacred. And when you come out here, I mean, God’s inside me, God’s inside you, God’s inside all of us. So, I’m walking with faith and that’s all that matters. And when I get the chance to do this in this type of arena and showcase my talents that have been granted to me strictly by God, I’m humbled.”
Irving isn’t the first NBA superstar to have done this, Hakeem Olajuwon used to play 40 minutes without having had even a sip of water from dawn to sunset. Kyrie Irving finds great strength in his faith, and while he may have had many controversial situations throughout the season, it’s great to see him balling out like this on the court.