Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Hall of Fame guard Tim Hardaway Sr. set social media ablaze this week their comments regarding All-Star guard Kyrie Irving.

However, there was plenty that was lost in the white noise surrounding his future contract and leadership qualities. Where Hardaway questions his command, Irving's teammates have consistently gone on record praising him as a vocal leader.

Meanwhile, Cuban questions the stories and reports that he read about Irving up to that point, which he believes were completely wrong (h/t ESPN's Tim MacMahon).

“I think he’s happy here. He tells me he’s happy here, and I get along great with him. I think he’s a good guy. All I can tell you is everything I thought I knew about Kyrie because of everything I read was 100% wrong.”

There have been multiple instances in which the backlash he's faced has been self-inflicted. Nonetheless, Irving has long since seemed like a person that genuinely cares for the well-being of others.

His inclination to follow conspiracy theories vacillates between innocent and dangerous. While the coverage of his thoughts on matters outside of basketball should be taken lightly in most instances, most of it is a cover to make personal attacks. To make matters worse, his approach with the media has often been abrasive, which only leads to more scathing remarks about his intelligence, mindset, and disposition.

It's no wonder that there's often a large gulf between the expectations and reality of Kyrie Irving.

With how much the Mavs have taken to Irving — as an organization and as a team — it's not out of the question that Kyrie really would prefer to stay in Dallas.