The Dallas Mavericks have one of the most fascinating stories in the 2024 NBA season. While they have a generational player leading the roster, plenty of strong teams in the Western Conference can win games on any given day.
Kyrie Irving is one of the key people in the Dallas locker room to win their second championship banner. He’s been a vital member of Jason Kidd’s roster since dealing with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire his services.
Mavs fans can count on their star man to take care of things since he doesn’t have to worry about his condition for the Olympics. He’ll be doing everything in his power to support Luka Doncic and win against a Celtics team that bookies favor to win their 18th title.
Fans who followed Uncle Drew since his early days with the Cleveland Cavaliers will feel a bit proud of their star’s turnaround from a toxic locker room presence into a reliable co-star enjoying his basketball with a generational talent.
The transformation has been so drastic that Stephen A. Smith had to come forward and clear some things with some of the things he said about Kyrie.
Stephen A. Smith apologizes to Kyrie Irving after seeing him play with the Dallas Mavericks
Like most analysts and fans who have covered the league, they saw Kyrie’s transformation from a beloved sidekick to LeBron James into a difficult teammate who isn’t interested in synergizing with his teammates. Due to his antics with the Celtics and Nets, many saw him as a diva whose incredible basketball skills made him a tolerable albeit difficult presence in an NBA locker room.
Smith did admit that he was disappointed with how Kyrie turned out during those years. However, he explained that fellow analyst and close friend Kenny Smith made him look at Kyrie’s situation differently.
Per Yahoo! Sports’ Preezy Brown:
“It wasn’t until Kenny Smith placed that call to me that I had to look at myself differently,” the New York Times Bestseller admitted. “He reminded me of the numerous people that raised Kyrie, who also influenced me. When I talked about Kyrie in the fashion that I did, it wasn’t just a reflection on him, but also on them. When I looked at it that way, it gave me cause to pause.”
He continued to take accountability for his missteps regarding Irving, adding, ”I feel the way that I feel because I pride myself in being man enough to acknowledge when I’m wrong. If I think I’m wrong because, I think it’s rare, but I was wrong, and for Kenny Smith to tell me that, it hit home in a big way because we go back more than 30 years.”
While it did take a friend for Smith to admit his wrongs, it’s still great that the respected analyst can see how Kyrie Irving has gotten better as a basketball player and a person.
It’s also a great testament to the environment the Mavericks have been fostering for Kyrie. The team is doing everything they can to make Kyrie comfortable, and their efforts are paying off on the hardwood.
Will Uncle Drew be enough to help the Mavs upset the Celtics?
If you look at the current Mavericks roster, it may be tough for them to overcome the Celtics. On paper, the C’s have a better roster than the Mavs. They have more impact players who can put on the clamps on the team’s best players.
However, Kyrie has proven himself an unstoppable player against the West’s best. He’s averaging 22.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals on 48.5% shooting and 42.1% from deep this postseason.
Mavs fans hope that Irving will give them what it takes to turn over the tide against the C’s and win their second chip.
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