For NBA players, there is a clear end goal: win the championship. While there are countless moving parts in pursuing that goal, every championship team needs a leader. Ranging from Tim Duncan to Giannis Antetokounmpo to Dwyane Wade to Stephen Curry, leaders can be found in all shapes and sizes in the NBA.
When Kyrie Irving was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics, he viewed himself as the leader of a young group of guys. Now in his second year, Kyrie's leadership has never been tested more than it is now. Losing four straight games and six of their last eight, the Celtics are desperately trying not to unravel.
While there are many definitions out there, one of the better ones can be attributed to a Princeton professor: leadership is “a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards an achievement of a goal.”
Towards their achievement of a championship, the Celtics, considered in the pre-season as a true contender, are currently only the fifth seed in the East. And surprisingly, as of February 28th, their record this season without Kyrie Irving sits impressively at 9-2, while their record with Kyrie is merely 28-23.
There is no doubt around the association the Irving is an extremely talented player. One of the craftiest and most clever guards in the game, Kyrie displays unparalleled handles, making him one of the toughest covers in the league. But sheer talent is different than leadership, as noted by former Celtic Antoine Walker:
"Kyrie's not a leader. He's a great player, a superstar in this league, I would love to have him on my team, but he's not a leader. Last night, to have no comments and leave Marcus Smart's comment out to dry lets you know his concern about being on the Celtics." —@WalkerAntoine8 pic.twitter.com/1WCmjQiseh
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 27, 2019
As Walker brought up, Irving's handling of the media also brings more question marks about his leadership. In January, after a loss to the Orlando Magic, Irving went to the media to question the play and determination of the young players on the team.
“The young guys don't know what it takes to be a championship level team. What it takes every day. And if they think it is hard now, what do they think it will be like when we're trying to get to the Finals?”
Those comments criticizing his teammates came after this tumultuous sequence to end the game against the Magic:
https://streamable.com/sznix
With 2.9 seconds left in the game, Brad Stevens called a play that Kyrie was clearly upset with. He was seen exchanging strong words with Stevens as they broke the huddle. Kyrie's frustration might be connected to the fact he wasn't going to take the last shot. When the play starts, Brad Stevens has Kyrie stand several feet past the half-court line, clearly acting as a decoy just to draw his defender away from the play.
Gordon Hayward, the in-bounder, chose to pass to Jayson Tatum, who bricked the fadeaway jumper at the buzzer. After the play, Kyrie had some choice, animated words for Gordon Hayward, and Irving seemingly believed the pass shouldn't have gone to Tatum. There's a difference between criticism and correction, and in this sequence, along with his post-game words, Kyrie's attitude and language were merely forms of criticizing his teammates.
He still viewed himself as a leader, however. When asked if he's worried about the playoffs after consecutive losses in February, he responded that he wasn't. The reason? “Because I ‘m here,” was all Kyrie replied.
While confidence in their abilities is something most NBA players have, Kyrie's comments included no words on improving or helping his team play better. And coming after consecutive losses, that speaks volumes to his team.
In contrast, the Golden State Warriors, currently the number one seed in the West, had just come off of consecutive losses on February 28th after losing to both the Heat and the Magic. With their recent play scrutinized, Stephen Curry was asked post-game on the potentially worrisome losses:
“Understand what we're trying to accomplish. We want to win every game we play, but we understand when it doesn't happen, we identify the reasons and call them out and keep it moving. We don't become the team we're capable of without understanding how to deal with failure and deal with losses.”
The stark contrast in responses is evident. After consecutive losses, Kyrie replied with an “I” statement that emphasized the importance of his abilities. But Curry responded with a “we” statement that emphasized the team learning from their mistakes and failures.
Make no mistake though–Kyrie Irving is a force to be reckoned with on the court. He ranks 11th in the league in real plus-minus, right behind Steph Curry. Kyrie averages 23.6 points per game this season on an efficient 49% shooting from the field and 41% shooting from three.
But his comments, criticism, and sometimes-selfish attitude make him out to be, at least for now, merely a great player and not necessarily a great leader.
It does seem he understands his role and is trying to improve, though. He apparently called LeBron James over the phone recently, where the two former teammates discussed leadership. Kyrie had apologetic words afterwards:
“I did a poor job of setting an example for these young guys what it's like to get something out of your teammates. Going forward, I want to test these young guys, but I can't do it publicly. That was a learning experience for me, realizing the magnitude of my voice and what I mean to these guys.”
Kyrie Irving is still only 26 years old, and has a long career ahead of him. And it's a good sign that he's learning and trying to grow into his leadership role. Whether he stays on the Celtics or not remains to be seen long-term, but as one of the premier players in the league, he needs to do a better job of learning how to lead.
No leader is perfect. But in the NBA, there's a difference between guys who understand they're the best player on their team, and guys who understand what's best for their team. The latter are the ones who can spur their teammates on, who can help maximize their potentials, and can contribute the most in achieving their ultimate goal.
The verdict is still up in the air on whether Kyrie Irving will become the leader the Celtics need him to be. If they truly want to make a run at a championship, they'll need a strong leader at the helm. And Kyrie better be up for the call.
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