Getty Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks.
After missing the playoffs last season, Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is looking to have a much different result in his first full season with the franchise in 2024.
No matter how you feel about his decisions off the court, there is no denying that Irving is one of the most talented players to grace the NBA. There are several adjectives to describe Irving’s unorthodox style of play. Former Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets star Nick Van Exel says “gifted” is the best descriptor for Kyrie’s game.
“I think Kyrie is just a gifted scorer like he can score with the best of them, so I’m not gonna put him in there with those [playmakers] right now,” Van Exel said during a recent appearance on the Late Night Lake Show.
Van Exel also gave an inside look at what it is like to prepare for the Mavericks’ star as a coach.
“When I first got into the league coaching, when I was in Atlanta, my first time I’m like Kyrie bull********. Like Kyrie is just bull******** with the game. Like this is so easy for him,” he added.
Pairing Irving with another star in Luka Doncic could pay huge dividends for head coach Jason Kidd and the Mavericks.
Kyrie Irving & Russell Westbrook Go Viral
There are no NBA games tonight as the FIBA World Cup is still in play. But we are closer to the start of the NBA preseason on October 8 which means training camp will kick off for some teams in a few short weeks. But it is still the offseason, which means that players are still preparing and getting in shape for the 2024 season.
As the old saying goes, “iron sharpens iron,” and if you want to get better you have to train with like-minded individuals.
Irving went viral after being seen training with Los Angeles Clippers All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook as two of the NBA’s top stars are looking to avenge themselves from disappointing seasons after being traded in 2024.
Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook working out together.
🎥: the_realstick on IG
Last season Irving averaged 26.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game.
Westbrook averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. After a disappointing year and a half with the Lakers, Westbrook found a comfortable role in Clippers’ head coach Ty Lue’s rotation during the regular season and was a major reason the Clippers were able to compete with the Suns in the first round of the playoffs despite being without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Team USA Suffers First Loss
In August, Olympic star Noah Lyles found himself in hot water after his controversial comments about the NBA Champions referring to themselves as world champions.
“You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have “world champion” on their head. World champion of what? The United States?” he said.
As one might expect, Lyles’ comments were much to the chagrin of some of the NBA’s biggest stars.
But Lyles may have gotten the last laugh against the NBA. After being undefeated in 2023 FIBA play, Team USA Basketball suffered their first tournament loss in a 104-110 loss to Lithuania on September 3.
Team USA will have an opportunity to bounce back in their next game when they face Italy on September 5.
With many of the NBA’s top stars such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Durant absent from the Team USA FIBA roster, it will be interesting to see if they bounce back.