Austin Rivers Explains Why Kyrie Irving Is Tougher To Defend Than LeBron James

Irving certainly is capable of hurting you as an opponent in more ways than most. As Rivers explained, the Dallas Mavericks star has many moves in his arsenal and if you take one thing away from him, he'll just go to another.

Irving averaged 26.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in clashes against Rivers. He was quite efficient in those games too, as he shot 49.0% from the field and 44.2% from beyond the arc.

While those are impressive numbers, it should come as little surprise that James bettered them. He averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in contests against Rivers. James was also more efficient than Irving from the field, as he shot 54.1%. The only area where the guard bettered him was three-point shooting, as LeBron only connected on 34.9% of his shots from three. 

James might not have that "deep bag" like Irving but still manages to be more effective on the court. His combination of athleticism and skill made him impossible to guard for much of his career and teams are still finding it hard to slow him down in his 22nd season in the NBA.

James is averaging 23.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024-25. The 40-year-old isn't dominating on a nightly basis as he once did but puts in magical performances from time to time. We'll see James in action next against the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday at 10:30 PM ET.

As for Irving, he is averaging 23.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Mavericks in 2024-25. He hasn't been as consistent as you'd like, but missing time with injuries might have played a part in that. The Mavericks would be hoping Irving can stay healthy the rest of the way and he'll be in action next against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Monday at 12 PM ET.