Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks has been in the NBA for 12 years now and has experienced a great deal of things during that time.
He has won a championship, eight All-Star appearances, and Rookie of the Year.
He is now one of the most decorated and respected veterans in the league and showed why on Friday night during a spectacular elimination game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Speaking to the NBA after the game, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised Irving, saying “his basketball IQ is like no other.”
“His basketball IQ is like no other.”
Coach Jason Kidd gives his take on Kyrie’s 13-0 record in elimination games 🗣️
DAL visits OKC for Game 1 on Tuesday at 9:30pm/et on TNT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/WqmfCPH5Xq
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2024
Kidd said that coaches and fellow teammates have faith and confidence in Irving.
They know he is going to do the right thing, make the correct choices, and perform to the best of his abilities.
That is exactly what he did during Friday’s game, posting 30 points and 6 rebounds.
The numbers are impressive, but it’s the choices that stand out in Irving’s game.
There were multiple instances during Friday’s game when Irving had to decide how to get around defense, find his teammates, or shoot the ball.
Again and again, he made the correct decisions and continually helped his team.
When Irving joined the Mavericks last season, there was hope that he’d slide into the role of mentor for Luka Doncic and other young players on the roster.
That is a position that Irving hasn’t had much experience with but as he gets older, it’s one that he will need to keep taking on.
He might not be one for pep talks or courtside conversations, but Irving leads by example and shows other players what a sky-high basketball IQ looks like.
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Kyrie Irving’s Record In Closeout Games Has Fans Talking