Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving had some incredible battles with John Wall in the 2010s, and he decided to give the latter his flowers recently. On a live stream, Irving sang Wall’s praises and applauded him for setting the precedent.
“Let me give John his flowers,” Irving said. “He definitely set a precedent, set the example a year before of being a No. 1 pick, being a point guard, being everything that you could want, and being an exciting guard in the NBA.
“You gotta think, both of us came on to the scene later on in the rankings,” Irving stated. “And for us to go back-to-back as point guards in the NBA? That was generational. I don’t think it’ll ever be a run like that again of two point guards going back-to-back No. 1 picks in the best league in the world.
“So, I definitely gotta give him his flowers, man,” Irving added. “So many great matchups against him. So many great moments of just us being ultra competitive because we knew our towns, the hood back at home was talking like, who is better between us two. It made me who I am today. It helped shape my competitive drive.”
Wall was just the second guard to be selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2000s, with the Washington Wizards choosing him in 2010. The following year, the Cleveland Cavaliers would select Irving with the first pick.
Wall and Irving would vie for the title of best point guard in the Eastern Conference in the 2010s. Thanks, in part, to playing alongside LeBron James, Irving would emerge victorious in that battle. Unlike Wall, he has won a championship and has a 10-8 record against him as well.
Irving averaged 24.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in those 18 clashes. As for Wall, he put up 22.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. They both managed to get the best out of each other.
Unfortunately, injuries to Wall meant the rivalry would come to an abrupt end. He was at the top of his game in 2016-17, finishing seventh in MVP voting, but not long after that, things would start going horribly wrong.
Wall suffered a heel injury in December 2018 that would rule him out for the rest of the 2018-19 season. Then, in February 2019, he ruptured his Achilles after slipping and falling at his home.
Wall has only played in two seasons since and last featured in an NBA game in 2023. The 34-year-old still hopes to make a comeback, but it’s likely that his career is over.
If Wall’s time in the NBA has indeed ended, he walks away with career averages of 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. He made five All-Star teams and has gone down as one of the best players in the Wizards’ franchise history.
As for Irving, he remains a star in the NBA but is currently on the sidelines after tearing his ACL in March. Despite that injury, the Mavericks are signing him to a three-year, $119 million deal. They believe Irving will shine on his return, and here’s hoping he does.
