Kyrie Irving: From Unloved Provocateur to Perfect Player for the Dallas Mavericks

There is a scene which may seem innocuous but which is perhaps full of meaning. While the ten players on the floor waited for the referee to do the jump ball to start the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kyrie Irving leaned towards Anthony Edwards to friendly place his hand on the back of the young opposing superstar. This can be seen as a mark of respect before the start of hostilities in this series which promises to be very competitive. A way of making him understand “that the best wins” since the two artists find themselves in a duel at their respective positions – and Edwards admitted after Game 1 that his elder had exhausted him by making him run.

Perhaps there is something deeper coming out of this interaction. By opting for a “gentle” gesture, Irving reminds his young counterpart that there is pleasure to be had in this opposition. That if the goal is obviously to win, it remains essential to have fun playing basketball. That has always been the state of mind of the 32-year-old veteran, one of the rare starters who is past his thirties among the four teams still in the race for the NBA title this season.

The redemption of the unloved provocateur

There were times when Irving lost sight of all that. Probably because he himself got lost. Or searched. Until finding himself, or finding himself, since his arrival in Texas. You can see the pleasure he takes every evening, whatever his performance, whatever the outcome of the match. He seems more relaxed than ever. And a technician like him in full possession of his means – meaning here in full possession of his available brain time – is an attacker far too complete to be stopped. Even when he faces the Timberwolves, the best defense in the championship.

Beyond his performance, it is his body language that fascinates. He speaks calmly to his teammates throughout the game. He exudes a form of serenity that can positively influence the entire team. He speaks but he also listens. He understands the importance it can have to let his comrades let go of what is in their heart or in their head during the game, especially at this level of the competition. Sometimes he replaces them. Gives them instructions. He is focused. Engaged. Implied. It’s been a long time since he seemed so invested within a group, where he could sometimes be detached in recent years.

Kyrie Irving

Credit: Eurosport

A long crossing of the desert that he caused

We talk a lot about attitude but, anyway, Kyrie Irving’s level of play has never been a problem since he was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. He immediately asserted himself as an elite player and he contributed to one of the most incredible coronations in US sports history in 2016. The Ohio franchise became the first NBA team to come back from 3-1 in the NBA finals to win the title with a crucial basket from Irving in the final moments of Game 7.

But the glory and heroic performances were eclipsed by the misfortunes of the man wherever he went. Troubles that he himself caused. He no longer wanted to evolve in the shadow of LeBron James so he forced his departure from Cleveland despite three consecutive qualifications in the finals. He ended up with the Boston Celtics, where he struggled to take on a leadership role despite a roster with incredible potential with youngsters Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. He finally left for the Brooklyn Nets where he broke all the codes harshly put in place by the organization before being unavailable for part of the matches during COVID-19 due to his refusal to be vaccinated. Executives ended up suspending him after he shared a film with Holocaust denial theories. The Nets broke down and traded him. No one wanted him anymore. Except the Mavericks (and LeBron James to the Lakers, but the front office didn’t follow).

The perfect player for the Dallas Mavericks

Today, Kyrie Irving is more mature. But above all, he is at peace. Feel better about yourself. On the pitch, he does what he has always done. And even more than that. His association with Luka Doncic works wonderfully because the former teammate of James and Kevin Durant has always shone in a role as a prolific finisher who does not have to assume the costume of the first playmaker. The defense is first concentrated on the Slovenian and this gives him a little more space and freedom to unpack his unique technical baggage.

What has changed, however, is that he is not satisfied with that. In fact, to put it in a much simpler way, Irving does absolutely everything the Mavs need based on each situation. His role sometimes evolves from series to series, from match to match, or even from quarter to quarter. He transformed into a luxury duty player in the series against Oklahoma City, where he finished only third in scoring for Dallas. On the other hand, to compensate, he made the game more fluid in attack, he went for rebounds and he defended fiercely.

He reads the game and he adapts. If the Mavericks need a facilitator, he becomes a facilitator. If they need a scorer, he scores. Jason Kidd’s men got off to a bad start last night. There was already almost an emergency. So he scored 24 of his 30 points in the first half to keep his team afloat. It was once the defense naturally closed in on him that Doncic was able to score 15 points in the fourth quarter. Usually, it’s the opposite: the Slovenian starts strong and the American shows his composure at the end. This will obviously be a major asset for Dallas against a Minnesota team inexperienced at this level of the competition. Kyrie Irving can keep smiling. There’s still plenty of fun to be had until mid-June.

2024-05-24 09:20:00
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