Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving is a star. He is a phenomenal scorer. He has unbelievable handles. He can get his shot whenever he wants. But just where does he rank among the all-time great talents in the history of the NBA?
Well, ESPN's Max Kellerman thinks he is at the very top, stating that Irving is the most skilled player to ever play the game:
We should probably pump the brakes on that.
While Kyrie Irving is unquestionably an incredibly skilled player who may have the best handles in the league right now, calling him the most skilled player ever is a bit of a stretch.
Let's think about some of the other all-time great players who have graced basketball. Michael Jordan isn't just considered the GOAT because of the fact that he won. He was ridiculously skilled. You had Larry Bird. Hakeem Olajuwon. Guys in today's game like Kevin Durant and LeBron James. The list goes on and on.
It's understandable what Max is trying to say. Just because you are the most skilled player does not necessarily mean that you are the best, but if you are the most skilled player ever? That means you are, at the very least, a top-10 player of all time, and Kyrie, as great as he is, will never, ever be able to say that about himself.
It is true, though, that Irving doesn't really have any holes in his offensive game. He can shoot. He can post. He can get to the rim and finish just about any shot at the cup. He has also drastically improved his passing ability.
But the most skilled player ever? Yeah. Let's relax for now.
Follow Us
Subscribe