After 24 games into the NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks are currently fourth in the Western Conference. One of the biggest reasons why they're holding a winning record would be attributed to point guard Kyrie Irving. In an interview with Rachel Nichols, Irving opened up on what made him re-sign with the Mavs the past offseason.

“Nico (Harrison), J (Jason) – Kidd, made that decision a lot easier,” Irving shared via Showtime Basketball. “We have history together. You know, just being in different spaces and really trusting each other to be the best possible version of ourselves. So once they laid that out on the table for me it was an easy decision to come back to Dallas.”

It looks like Irving has finally found a place he's comfortable being in after years of clashing against organizations he's played for. The 32-year-old, known for his highlight plays and fancy moves, rose to fame during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Alongside LeBron James, Irving is famously known for co-leading the Cavs to a championship in the 2015-16 season, capped off by an incredible finals comeback over the Golden State Warriors.

However, after his Cleveland years, Irving's stints with the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets did not go as planned. A messy divorce with the Celtics in 2019 turned the Boston faithful against him. The sharing of a controversial film full of antisemitic conspiracy theories prompted criticism from Nets owner Joseph Tsai. For Irving, being traded to Dallas last year was a breath of fresh air, a chance for a restart. It also helps that people in the organization welcomed him with open arms.

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“Then you throw Mark (Cuban) and Luka (Doncic), in there as well. Those guys welcomed me with a lot of warmth and had nothing but great things to say about me when I wasn't even on the team, so that makes things a lot easier,” Irving added.

Irving also touched on the fact that he wished that, when he was younger, he had received the mentorship and guidance that the Mavericks organization provides to its players.

“I mean if you look at some of the most successful organizations over the last 10 years, obviously not just winning a bunch of championships but having a solid foundation, a solid group of players that really speak highly of their experience and how much they enjoy playing with the teammates they had,” Irving said, alluding to the Mavs. “I just think in my heart, in 2011, me getting drafted as a young person, needing a lot of mentorship, needing a lot of nurturing, I could look back on it now and say I needed these things. I could've used this.”

As the Mavs look to continue making a run this season, it's a sign of relief to the Dallas community knowing that Kyrie Irving is in good spirits with the team. He may not have had the best track record, but based on his interview, it seems like this fresh start was just what Uncle Drew needed to get back on the right track.