Veteran NBA point guard Kyrie Irving has been ridiculed in the past for his poor decision-making and leadership skills. But in a recent chat with the media, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd had nothing but good things to say about Irving and his role as a leader for the team.
“When you talk about [Kyrie Irving’s leadership], he’s soft-spoken but powerful,” said Kidd via Joey Mistretta. “Because when you look at what he’s done to this point, he’s a champion, he’s won. Everyone respects his game… [The younger generation] wanna pick his brain on how they can all get better. He spends a lot of time with the young group.”
It’s no secret that Irving has a bit of a controversial past. After starting with the Cavaliers, where he developed into a star, Kyrie won a championship with LeBron James and made franchise history in 2016. Still, he forced his way out a year later using very dramatic means.
With the Celtics, Irving was tasked to lead a core of budding young stars (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) but he failed to connect with his teammates and left after just two seasons with the club. By all accounts, his tenure there was a total disaster and the Celtics only took off after he was gone.
Things only got worse for Irving with the Brooklyn Nets. Alongside his friend and co-star Kevin Durant, he was at his most free and also at his most troubled. After refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, he was disqualified from home games and he created a toxic culture in the locker room by waging war against the fans and media over anti-semitic accusations.
By the end of Irving’s run with the Brooklyn Nets, his reputation was totally damaged and there were very few teams interested in offering him a long-term contract until he could prove himself as more reliable.
In the 2022 trade deadline, Mark Cuban pushed his franchise to pursue Irving and the Mavericks were the latest team to land a shot with Kyrie. Despite his past and shady reputation, Cuban gave Irving his full trust and confidence and also offered him the freedom to be himself both on and off the court.
It’s no wonder why Irving re-signed with Dallas last summer for three years and $126 million. Kyrie has not only found a home with the Mavericks, he’s found a team that that plays to his strengths and that will help him rehabilitate his reputation after years of chaos.
This season, with Klay Thompson added to the mix, the Mavericks are hoping that they finally have enough to make another championship run and make history once again for the people of Dallas. With their new “big three”, they are closer than they’ve ever been to that goal but they will have a chance to prove it soon enough.
So far, all signs point to a major redemption arc for Kyrie and if he can pull off a championship victory this year it will completely validate Irving’s impact as a star, leader, and tone-setter on the Mavericks.
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