Kyrie Irving Back in the NBA Finals
Hoops writer Nick Andre takes a look at Kyrie Irving’s journey to get back to the NBA Finals.
Kyrie Irving is heading back to the NBA Finals. I’m sure many insiders didn’t expect it. However, the Dallas Mavericks have been on a tear throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs and have been led by the dominant duo of Irving and Luka Doncic. Next Thursday, Irving has an opportunity to win his second NBA title.
It’s been a rollercoaster journey for Irving. In 2016, he was on top of the world as he was LeBron James’ right-hand man, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers dethrone the Golden State Warriors for the NBA title. A year later, Irving requested a trade from the Cavs and looked to be the next franchise player for the Boston Celtics. Well, let’s just say that didn’t work too well. Even when Irving played for the Brooklyn Nets, things didn’t work out too well.
Dallas was the team who took a chance on Irving. The NBA world turned its back on him because of the off-court drama. However, the Mavericks needed a legitimate star to play next to Luka Doncic. Sure, the first season resulted in missing the playoffs. However, Doncic and Irving regrouped and led the Mavericks to their second 50-win season in three seasons.
The best word to describe Irving is “Evolved”. The reason is that he understands the value of winning. When Irving was traded to Boston, he looked to be the number one option to win. In 2024, Kyrie Irving doesn’t mind being the number two option next to Doncic. With that being said, he can bring a dynamic of scoring and playmaking to the team that leads them to success.
The Western Conference Finals is where Irving shined the brightest. In game one, he set the tone early by scoring 24 points in the first half. Even as Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards made the announcement of guarding him, Irving accepted the challenge and was a leading factor in Dallas winning the series in five games. Irving averaged 27 points per game along with 4.6 assists during the five games. The dominance of him and Doncic quickly sparked conversations as the best backcourt duo in NBA history.
Now it’s off to the Finals where Kyrie Irving will face his former team, Boston Celtics. There’s still bad blood between him and the team in green. Fans still demise the way he left the franchise and remind him every time he enters TD Garden. With that being said, Irving is expected to be booed every time he touches the ball in games one and two.
This is another opportunity for Kyrie Irving to shine. He’s had several great moments in the NBA Finals that includes hitting the game-winning three in game seven in 2016. Now this is another opportunity for Irving to make history on the biggest stage again.
