In a chat with the media after the Mavericks ' Game 3 win on Saturday, Kyrie Irving opened up on what motivates him as a basketball player. After referencing a quote from Josh Hart, Irving went on to explain his perspective on not taking the game for granted.
"I don't think it's so much about proving anything," said Irving. "I believe it's just putting the basketball game in perspective. Josh Hart has a tremendous quote talking about people having 12-hour shifts and we get to go out there and play a game that we love. That doesn't take away from our competitive spirit or what we wanna accomplish as legacy members of the NBA. A lot of us forget that we're the top of the top and we have ascended here because a lot of hard work. We've ascended here because we sacrificed a lot of family time. We've done little things in order to be recognized as great teammates and to be recognized as some of the most talented players in the world."
Irving has never been shy about his position and considers it a great blessing to make a living in the NBA. Despite all the drama and chaos associated with his past, Kyrie has always been a somewhat humble character and he knows how important it is to set a good example for the next generation.
"The next generation is watching," continued Irving. "I want them to have this game to appreciate as an art space and not just 'business, business, business.' You should enjoy the competition, you should enjoy going up against the best of the best.
Kyrie is doing his best to enjoy the moment and appreciate his status as one of the best players in the game. Now that he's free of distractions and of any excuse to quit on his team, Kyrie is proving his worth to the Mavericks and he's helping them make an impressive run in the Western Conference this year.
Kyrie Irving Is The Hero Of The Season
While Luka Doncic may be the leader and face of the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving's talent and expertise on offense have raised their ceiling to new heights as a team. This season, in 58 games with the Mavericks, Irving averaged 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game on 49.7% shooting.
In the playoffs, Irving has been even better for the Mavericks and his shot-making has been huge for them down the stretch. In Saturday's win, while he only finished with 22 points, he was arguably the best player on the floor with 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 58% efficiency from the field.
For the Mavericks to win this series, they'll need Irving at this level for the rest of the way through and it seems he's more than capable of delivering this season after a string of impressive games.
For a guy who was in the dog house not too long ago, for the messes he created with the Celtics and Nets, Kyrie Irving has certainly redeemed himself with the Mavericks and he has a chance to wipe his slate clean with a Finals run or even a championship victory. Only time will tell if that outcome is in the cards for Uncle Drew but there's no reason to think he can't keep this momentum going now that he's found the ideal situation for himself.
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