The 32-year-old point guard is one of the league’s top figures at his position and will be looking for the second title of his career with the Dallas Mavericks.
This Thursday the NBA finals will begin, facing the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. One of the figures that will have the meaning of the most important basketball championship in the world is Kyrie Irving, who adapted very well to the Texan team and formed a difficult duo with Luka Doncic. But in the past the 32-year-old point guard has been on everyone’s lips on many occasions, because He has publicly declared himself an anti-vaccine and flat-earther. Besides, there were anti-Semitic actions that caused controversy. I know his story.
The race of Uncle Drew It went from the highest to the lowest. Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011 – along with Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson -, was selected as Rookie of the Year, averaging 18.5 points and 5.4 assists. After several seasons of consolidation in the league, he won his first ring in 2016 with LeBron James as a teammate, after coming back from 1-3 in the finals against the Golden State Warriors to produce a historical record 72 regular season victories . stage. He was in charge of scoring a key triple to seal the seventh game and give the first ring to the franchise in the eastern United States.
In 2017 he decided to leave for Boston to star in a historic NBA institution. However, not everything went according to plan. The idea of managers was for Kyrie to guide two of the most promising players at the time: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But injuries in the first season and the death of his grandfather – a role model for him – at the beginning of the second, caused a sharp decline in the level of the point guard. In fact, he admitted it himself “He failed those people”. Now he has to face many of them in a decisive moment.
His most scandalous period was with the Brooklyn Nets. He came to the New York team to form a Big Three with James Harden and Kevin Durant, but the results were not as expected. In addition to being a sports failure, Irving was very controversial off the court. During the Covid-19 pandemic he refused to be vaccinated, arguing that “Mandatory vaccination is one of the biggest human rights violations in history”. This inflexible stance caused him to be removed from the team, as he did not comply with New York’s health regulations. “Kyrie made a personal decision and we respect his right to do so. Currently, that decision limits his ability to be a full-time member of the team.”they argued from the Nets.
Furthermore, he used to be in the eye of the storm afterwards express openly flat earther in some interviewsyes. The final straw that ended up driving him from Brooklyn was when he posted a tweet with a link to see “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” a film accused of being anti-Semitic. Although he was reluctant at first, he ended up apologizing. “To all Jewish families and communities hurt and affected by its publication”. too late: He was suspended by the franchise and Nike, the company that sponsored him, cut his million dollar contract.. Finally, in February 2023 he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
Just when many thought his career was over, Kyrie reconnected with himself. He did this through a journey with his ancestors from Native American tribes, specifically the Standing Rock tribe, where he shared a ceremony with more than a thousand “brothers” and was baptized “Helá” , which means “small mountain.”
The first months in Dallas were one of adaptation. He met his new colleagues, joined the group and everything began to flow naturally. So he formed a great duo with Luka Doncic, one of today’s great stars. This year they were unstoppable, especially in the postseason, where they defeated three teams that achieved more than 50 victories in the regular season. Now Irving has to return to TD Garden, a historic venue that doesn’t bring him fond memories, though he doesn’t classify his experience in Boston as “bad.” Can one of the most skilled point guards of this century bring back the ring?
Source: Tycsports
My name is Adam Jackson and I am an author. I have been writing about Basketball games for over a decade now and am excited to share my knowledge with you all. Additionally, I am also interested in other sports and enjoy discussing them with others. Contact me if you want to discuss any Basketball-related topics!
