In a conversation with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Kyrie Irving talked about the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic away and changed the identity of the Dallas Mavericks. According to Irving, his relationship with Luka transcends the court and he has no hard feelings over how it all went down.
“Part of our job every day is to deal with the public space but there were real relationships built behind the scenes that will transcend just the basketball court,” said Irving. “We not only had two years together but we got a chance to know each other as men. Hopefully, we can tailor back on some of the public criticism aspects of it and really just maintain the kindness and the compassion that we have for each other that’s real every day.”
Irving was traded to the Mavericks midway through the 2022-23 season. He joined Luka Doncic and forged a friendship right away. Both on and off the court, the duo grew closer and they developed solid chemistry in the 2023-24 campaign when they took the Mavs to the NBA Finals.
Now, with Anthony Davis (10x All-Star), the Mavericks’ entire identity has changed but Irving is along for the ride. In the brief period they shared the court together, Davis and Irving dominated the competition (26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks in 31 minutes) and it was just a taste of what is to come when the season returns.
“We had how many minutes together? Everybody saw it and it was just a microcosm of the impact AD makes,” said Irving. “And then also having Gaff [Daniel Gafford] and you look at the potential of D-Live (Dereck Lively II) put in there with him and then PJ who is emerging with him as a young star in our league. We also got Max Christie who was a high-level player for the Lakers. We’re getting healthy at the right time. No matter who’s in, we gotta take care of this.”
Irving, 32, was caught in the middle of one of the most controversial and shocking moves in NBA history. Despite being one of the best players in the world at 25 years old, Luka Doncic was traded by the Mavericks and his partnership with Irving was at an end.
The trade not only disrupted the Mavericks organization; it completely enraged the fanbase and Kyrie could do nothing but watch as all of the chaos unfolded. Of course, Kyrie has never let his loyalties on the court affect his friendships off the court.
With Anthony Davis, Kyrie and the Mavericks have a chance to pull off the best redemption arc and we saw a glimpse of what this team could be at full strength. Sadly, it will be some time before we see that again as AD recovers from his latest injury.
With averages of 24.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 47.8% shooting, Kyrie is more than pulling his weight for the Mavericks this season. When Anthony Davis returns, he’ll be ready to make a run and help his team validate the trade that shook the entire basketball world.
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