As the Dallas Mavericks prepare to capture their first championship since 2011 in the NBA Finals this season against the Boston Celtics, people usually point to the dominance of a player like Luka Doncic as being the sole reason for their success. While there is no doubt he is a huge reason for it, his teammate in Kyrie Irving has been vital for the Mavericks, especially as their vocal leader.
PJ Washington calls Irving a “great leader” for the Mavericks
Besides being an immensely talented basketball player, Irving has experienced the limelight of being in a championship series like he was with his time on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, he is bringing that to Dallas in the hopes of winning another title as players like PJ Washington speak highly of Irving and how much of a “great leader” he has been according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“Kai’s been a great leader throughout the whole time I’ve been here,” Washington said. “We know that he’s been here before. All of this isn’t new to him, and it’s new for all of us. So he guides us through everything we need help with. He’s that voice for us. He’s a fun guy to be around, a fun guy to play with, and he makes the game easier for all of us.”
“He has had something to say after every game,” Washington continued. “I think the best (moment) was in LA, after our first playoff game (in the first round, a 109-97 loss to the Clippers). He texted the group, just saying ‘Stick together. It’s only the beginning, it’s only gonna get harder from here,' it’s having those encouraging words from him that makes everybody play better and feel better about themselves. Obviously, he’s a superstar. He’s an icon. So for him to put the confidence in us just makes us feel 10 times better. He’s a leader in every way possible.”
Another Mavericks veteran touts Irving's leadership
Another player on the Mavericks that touted the leadership presence of Irving is another veteran in himself in Markieff Morris. He would show respect to the 32-year old as the two were teammates on the Brooklyn Nets two seasons ago where there was an attempt to make noise with fellow stars Kevin Durant and James Harden.
“There came a time when he had to make decisions for himself and his family, and that happened in New York,” Morris said. “I felt like the organization had seen it one way, and (Irving) had seen it another way. So with his business mind, he said ‘No, this is not gonna work for me, because we don’t see eye-to-eye.’
“(But) everything happens for a reason, man, and Kai [Irving] is a firm believer in that,” Morris continued. “He’s a firm believer in his faith. He’s a firm believer in doing all the right things, and I think this is the perfect place for him to be himself.”
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison talks acquiring Irving
There was some heavy doubts initially about the Mavericks acquiring Irving as besides the fit basketball wise, there have been off the court incidents involving reposting a film with anti-semitic beliefs. However, general manager Nico Harrison made the leap of faith and trusted the former Cavaliers' character.
“Honestly, (the confidence) was just the fact that I know Kyrie,” Harrison said. “I know his character, and I know how talented he is. So you have a guy like Luka, who is telling you that he’s ready to win. And he’s telling you, and then he’s showing it on the court. And then to win, you’ve got to surround him with enough high-level talent.
“You can’t just get talent like (Irving). It’s not out there,” Harrison continued. “Think of how many guys in the league who are available that are that talented. It just doesn’t happen. So we were fortunate that Kyrie became available. For me, I didn’t listen to the outside noise because I have my own relationship with him. … I have my own relationship. J-Kidd has his own relationship. And we know the culture that we’re building here. So it really didn’t come into play.”
Jason Kidd, Mark Cuban talk about looking past the noise with Irving
As mentioned before, there was some outside noise with Irving, but the Mavericks were focused on building a team that can win a championship. The same sentiments were echoed by head coach Jason Kidd who said they “had to look past the noise” and also by the owner of the team in Mark Cuban who spoke on blocking out “all the social media experts.”
“I think we had to look past the noise,” Kidd said of Irving. “Like, we’re talking about Kai the basketball player. The noise is the noise. It could be good noise, bad noise, but you just have to look at what you feel fits on the floor. And that’s all I think we looked at.”
“You know, in this business — and every business, really — you’ve got to just block out all the social media experts and just go with who you are,” Cuban said on Irving. “Yeah, (the noise around Irving) was different. But that’s the easiest stuff to block out. When they talk about someone’s personality, or this and that, and then you see Kai and how he interacts with players from around the league, everybody loved him.”
Irving touches on past with former team and NBA Finals foe in the Celtics
This season, Irving is averaging 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field. He was also exceptional in the Western Conference Finals where he averaged 27 points per game but he is now facing a Celtics team where he vast history. He was a part of Boston from 2017-2019 where he touches more on his time with his present NBA Finals opponent.
“Everyone’s gonna have a past,” Irving said via The Athletic. “Everyone’s gonna be judged for that. But I think putting your best foot forward and focusing on the future is the best place to be. All the stories and narratives are going to exist forever. I’m sure I’ll hear it until I retire.
“I’ve been there for these guys. They’ve been there for me,” Irving continued. “I’ve told them some very intimate things, some very vulnerable things, about who I am and what I’ve dealt with. And they’ve been able to really shower me with the support and love that’s needed — for any human being. … They really protect me and I protect them. That’s all I’ve ever asked for is from an organization and my teammates, is for them to protect me the same way I protect them, because I go out of my way to speak good things about people, to be in the right place for them, and to understand that human emotions get the best of you, but how you respond is how you’re going to be remembered.”
There is no doubt that there a ton of storylines surrounding the current NBA Finals matchup with Irving being at the forefront facing his former team and even on the other side where Celtics' big man Kristaps Porzingis faces his prior team in Dallas. The Mavericks will play Game 1 in Boston Thursday night.
Follow Us
Subscribe