May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game three of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic reveals 'craziest' thing about Mavericks' Kyrie Irving

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 5:03 PM ET

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are no longer teammates on the Dallas Mavericks, as general manager Nico Harrison made the still surreal decision to trade Doncic to this Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. It still doesn't feel quite right that the two aren't teammates, as they bonded quickly as friends and teammates, a way that was rare, especially for Irving.

The two have remained friends even after the trade, with Doncic calling Irving one time on one of Irving's Twitch streams. Doncic recently appeared on an episode of "Hot Ones," where he was asked by the host about the craziest part of Kyrie Irving's game, and it's no surprise what he chose.

"Especially in practice, he tries even more [things]. In the games, he tries things that nobody can try... When you think you stop him, he always finds a way to get to the basket. The ball handling, you can't learn that. He tried to teach me a little bit, but you can't do it. The things he do, you can't," Doncic said.

Irving is considered one of the greatest ball-handlers of all time, and arguably the greatest. He has the ball on the string, and he often looks like a streetball player with the way he handles it. And when you pair that with his ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor, he becomes the toughest player in the NBA to guard.

Sometimes, bigger athletic defenders can give Irving issues. In the 2024 NBA Finals, the combination of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White did a great job of limiting Irving to a poor performance overall in that series.

We Were Robbed of an All-Time Great Pairing With Doncic and Irving

During that run to the NBA Finals, Irving and Doncic were already being called the best backcourt in NBA history, and it was hard to argue against it. Sure, there were pairings such as Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, or Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, or even Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, but it was hard to argue against how talented and lethal the pairing of Irving and Doncic was.

Kyrie Irving was the perfect guard to have playing alongside Doncic, as he was used to playing with LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they were able to win a championship together. Luka Doncic may not be LeBron James, but he is also a ball dominant player capable of controlling an entire game. The Mavericks built a nearly perfect roster around Doncic, and then ripped him out of th equation, which is why the roster is now left in a weird state.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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