Ball handling is often an underrated skill in the NBA, and it can often set apart the average point guards from the truly elite. If you ask most fans, former NBA champion Kyrie Irving leads all players when it comes to handling the basketball, but Tracy McGrady says it’s Jamaal Tinsley who deserves that title. In a recent stream, Irving explained why he’s dead wrong:
“When I see an OG like T-Mac come out and say ‘I don’t think anybody had better handles than Jamaal Tinsley, even Kyrie’ it doesn’t bother me. I’m a mix of all the great players that came before me. You gotta understand, that I wouldn’t be who I am without watching the guys that came before me. I just took it to a whole different place,” said Irving.
Jamaal Tinsley enjoyed a successful 11-year career in the NBA, with career averages of 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. While he was never the scorer that Irving is, his handles were off the charts, and it allowed him to run an offense efficiently. For Irving, while handles may be a major part of his game, he believes his basketball identity cannot be defined by any one specific player.
“When it comes to every portion of my game, I try my best to pay homage to all those great ones that played before me. So when he’s talking like this, I know he’s talking about one of the guys that he’s seen that has better handles, but I just don’t think he has the same movement. Jamal Tinsley was not moving like me. I don’t think anybody moves like me. I think we have similarities, others have similarities, and they’ve advanced different things. But creating a foundation on teaching this generation how to still be having the street ball game. I play like I grew up outside, like I played on the playground — I just happened to make it to the pros.”
At 33 years old, Irving grew up in the ’90s and early 2000s, when he learned to emulate some of the NBA’s greatest players. Over time, he followed the example set by previous basketball stars and learned how to maximize his game to an elite level.
Today, his game is like a mix between Allen Iverson and Chris Paul, with impressive ball-handling skills and an amazing scoring ability. As a friend to Kobe Bryant, Irving also inherited the ‘Mamba Mentality’ that pushed him to constantly work on his craft.
While his team is currently out of the title race this year, Irving has fallen on hard times, and he may not return until late next season as he recovers from a torn ACL in the playoffs. Still, with fierce determination and a passion for the game, Kyrie will only go out on his terms, and he still has plenty of time left to add to his NBA resume. Whatever title you want to give him (or not), all that matters to Irving is that he’s playing his game and helping his team win however he can.
Regarding the title of NBA’s greatest ball handler ever, there is no denying that Jamal Tinsley was crafty with the basketball, but Irving has done similar things in a much more accomplished career. At this point, his legacy is set, and he’s satisfied with where his game is after 13 years.
