There are many ways in which a basketball player can excel. Some of them are great shooters, some of them make an unbreakable defense. But if we take into consideration the entertainment value of the National Basketball Association, modern point guards have to possess a well-rounded skill set. They give the most exciting performances and perform outstanding isolation plays.
Point guards are often propelling forces for the team. And this is what Kyrie Irving is, exactly. He is an incredible offensive player and one of the best ISO players in NBA history. Nowadays, some may say he is a hugely controversial figure, but even the haters must agree on one thing: this guy has skills. And despite Kyrie Irving’s height (being 6 feet 2 inches), he is an unstoppable power on the basketball court. At least when he isn’t injured.
Kyrie Irving – Early Life
Kyrie Andrew Irving was born on March 23rd, 1992 into a sporty Australian family. His father Drederick Irving, and his mother Elizabeth Irving both had athleticism and competitiveness in their blood, Drederick being a former college basketball player at Boston University, and Elizabeth being a former volleyball player.
The family moved back to the United States when Kyrie Irving was just two years old. His parents’ relationship was very rocky and Drederick was sometimes left as a sole guardian of Kyrie and his two sisters Asia and London.
After a time of moving and looking for a place to settle, the family finally found a home in Newark, New Jersey. Sadly, Elizabeth Irving contracted an infection and died when Dred was just four years old.
Kyrie Irving knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a professional basketball player. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps as he often attended Dred’s games and practices. He even wrote a promise to himself on his bedroom closet door that when he grows up, he will become an NBA player.
Kyrie Irving has American and Australian citizenship and he is a part of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe because his mother was half native American.
Kyrie Irving – High School
During his freshman and sophomore years, Kyrie Irving played for Montclair Kimberley Academy, which is a preppy private school. Kyrie knew that if he wanted to be a professional player, he had to have the best training possible so he changed his environment completely.
He enrolled in St. Patrick High School in his senior year, which was the polar opposite of the Montclair Kimberley Academy. The school was known as a production machine for NBA players, such as Major Jennings and Ron Simpson. At first, he was messed with and called “A Squirrel Boy” but ultimately the transfer turned out to be a great decision.
St. Patrick went on to win the Union County Tournament championship and Kyrie averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game during his senior year. He proved to his former bullies that he was a force to reckon with as an All-American and second-best recruit in the class of 2010.
Kyrie Irving – College Career
Kyrie Irving was welcomed into Duke University in 2009, although it was well-known that he didn’t want to finish his education and was going to become another one-and-done player. He was warmly greeted by coach Mike Krzyzewski, who already knew that Irving has star power. He was the top pick for the NCAA Freshman of the Year Award. Kyrie Irving’s sensational start was cut short when he sprained his right big toe in the ninth game of the season, causing him to miss the next three months of the season.
Kyrie Irving – Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving gave up his collegiate career because he had to prove to the scouts that the injury didn’t hurt the quickstep he was renowned for. He entered the 2011 NBA Draft and he became the first overall draft pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sometimes dreams do come true!
From the beginning, the Cavs were happy with their choice. Irving became the only unanimous pick for the NBA All-Rookie First Team and obtained the Rookie of the Year Award. The second season with the Cleveland Cavaliers earned him an NBA All-Star team spot, despite his injuries.
He proved his toughness at one point playing in a protective mask, because of his broken bones. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in Madison Square Garden. Before, the title belonged to Michael Jordan, who was a year older than Irving when he did so. Ultimately, he finished his second year with averages of 22.5 points, 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.
The 2013-14 season also proved an individual success for Kyrie as he recorded his first career triple-double, and became All-Star Game MVP.
Kyrie Irving – NBA Finals
Before the 2014-15 season, Kyrie Irving was a cavalier without his brigade but it was soon to change, as LeBron James got back with the team and Kevin Love was traded from Minnesota. The Big Three couldn’t find their groove at first but soon became a lethal power. Kyrie scored a franchise-high 57 points during that season, and the Cleveland Cavaliers went on to NBA Finals. Reckless Kyrie Irving was strongly injured in the first final game and the Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors.
Kyrie Irving – NBA Championship
The knee injury was so severe that Kyrie Irving couldn’t participate in the opening night of the 2015-2016 season. He got back into the game in December and helped to lead the team into the final championship game once again. The finals weren’t looking promising, as the Cavs were in a 3-1 deficit. But they made the greatest comeback that the NBA has ever seen and won the NBA Championship with a 4-3 score.
Both Kyrie and James scored 40 points in game six, and game seven was saved by Kyrie Irving’s three-pointer made in the last minute of the game. Kyrie and LeBron broke the curse that enchanted Cleveland for 52 years, not letting any Cleveland team win the championships in any major league professional sports.
In his last season with the Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving also managed to make an NBA finals appearance. But after the 2016-17 season his journey with this team was over.
Kyrie Irving – Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving was sick of LeBron James getting the spotlight and he asked to be transferred. He started 2017-18 with the Boston Celtics, who were a legendary team in the past century. Kyrie tried to bring them to their old glory. His debut game was against the Cleveland Cavaliers and he missed the three-point shot which could give the Boston Celtics a win.
Despite a rough start, he managed to accumulate 128 points in the first six games of the season and he led the team with a win over San Antonio Spurs (first since 2001). This season, like many before, was cut short due to his knee injury. He was supposed to have a barely invasive procedure and it knocked him out until the 2019-18 season.
After the injury, Kyrie Irving didn’t get back in shape which resulted in his poor performance against the Philadelphia 76ers. But he soon made up for what he missed, going on an over 25-point streak with the beginning of the new year and going with the Celtics to the playoffs.
When the season ended, Kyrie Irving lied to the whole team and the fans that he will re-sign his contract with the Boston Celtics. Just a year later, he transferred to Brooklyn Nets to form a super team with Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan. He explained this change of heart as longing for playing for his hometown.
Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets
Kyrie Irving’s debut with superpower Nets was exceptional as he scored 50 points, had 8 rebounds and 7 assists. The games that followed were also very prominent. The news of Kobe Bryant’s death had an immense impact on Kyrie Irving as he couldn’t participate in the game and just left the court. He got back but not for very long as he had to undergo surgery on his injured shoulder.
In the 2020-21 season, Kyrie Irving becomes a member of the 40-50-90 club, informal statistical honors that require its representatives to have 50% field goal, 40% three-pointers and 90% free throws percentage.
Kyrie Irving – Other Achievements
He was the hero of the United States’ gold-medal performance, earning MVP honors at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He also
In 2016, Irving helped the United States claim gold at the Olympics. He joined LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen as the fourth member of Team USA to win an NBA title and an Olympic gold medal in the same year.
Azure Elizabeth Irving
The professional NBA Player has other ventures which make him one of the highest-earning NBA players. He has his line of shoes with Nike and was a star of Pepsi Commercials, where he acted as elderly Uncle Drew and played basketball with fans. Kyrie Irving’s net worth is estimated to be 90 million dollars.
Besides his professional career, Irving is also a dad to young girl Azure Elizabeth Irving which he had with his previous partner Marlene Wilkerson.
Kyrie Irving – Controversies
Kyrie Irving is known for his outlandish utterances. For some time he was a firm believer that the earth was flat, but he retracted his statements and apologized to all of the science teachers, saying that he didn’t know that his words would have such an impact. He famously said that he doesn’t believe that Christmas is a holiday and Thanksgiving should frick off. The latter might be just a misunderstanding, because the NBA games are played during the holidays, making it a working day for the players.
Kyrie Irving – Covid Problem
Kyrie’s Irving biggest controversy so far is that he refused to vaccinate himself. Kyrie has openly declared that his vaccination status is a personal and private choice, and has been unable to play in road games in the 2021-22 season because he was excluded from New York City’s large indoor venues due to his lack of immunization.
Conclusion
A small boy with a dream to play basketball became one of the most polarizing players in NBA history. His controversial decisions might be revolting for some, but there is no doubt that he is one of the GOATs. With his individual achievements, we hope that he will find a team which suits him best and that he won’t be injured again.
