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Whoever coined the phrase “reputations die hard” doesn’t know what to do with Kyrie Irving right now. Eighteen months ago this guy was considered toxic. Teams did not want to be near him. Except the Mavericks, who traded for him last February and have since, seemingly against all odds, watched him magically morph into one of the most mature, rock-solid veteran leaders in the league.
Oh by the way, he still borders on something of a godly basketball talent, too.
Irving showcased the kind of player he’s become on Wednesday with 30 points, 24 of which came in the first half in which Dallas couldn’t get much of anything else going, as the Mavericks stole Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Timberwolves, 108-105, in Minnesota.
Luka Doncic, who has spoken of Irving with the highest of reverence from the moment they were paired up, called Irving’s first-half performance “big time,” saying the Mavericks “probably would’ve been down by 20 at halftime” without him.
“Everybody looks up to him,” Doncic said of Irving. “We know what kind of player he is. But off the court he’s just been amazing to us. Just helping us out, talking to us, keeping us positive. I’m really glad he’s on our team.”
Players have always adored Irving, mostly because he can do things with a basketball that leave even the most gifted athletes on the planet awestruck. But this level leadership, the quiet words of encouragement, the mentorship — this is different.
For Irving, it was a conscious decision that he says began to form last summer when Dallas failed to make the playoffs.
“You get motivation from failure. You get inspired,” Irving said in a postgame appearance on the TNT set. “I was watching at the playoffs [at] home, and I was taking little notes on some of the greatest leaders in our league. We’ve got guys that are really the backbone of their team and do the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet for their teams to win.
“So for me, this year I really focused on doing the little things,” Irving continued. “If…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/mavericks-vs-timberwolves-motivated-kyrie-irving-showcases-the-kind-of-leader-hes-become-in-dallas/
Author : Brad Botkin
Publish date : 2024-05-23 06:33:51
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