After struggling in Brooklyn to match the previous highs he reached with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, Kyrie Irving is in the midst of a remarkable bounce back season.
Any basketball fan that has spent time watching Kyrie understands that he is one of the great ball handlers and finishers in the NBA. Unfortunately, Kyrie managed just 143 games with the Brooklyn Nets over four season, causing people to maybe forget just how good this NBA guard can be.
During a recent postgame conference, five-time All-Star Luka Doncic stated that Kyrie was the Batman and he was the supporting player in Robin. That is high praise coming from a player that currently leads the NBA with 34 points per game.
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was the latest to heap praise on the 32-year-old point guard.
“I would echo that statement, that he’s the best one-on-one player I’ve ever seen or coached or been around,” said Udoka per SI.com.
“He’s the best one-on-one player I’ve ever seen or coached or been around.”
– Ime Udoka on Kyrie Irving
(Via https://t.co/e1B9GimWhV) pic.twitter.com/qX1u2tu8mA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 1, 2024
Veteran coach Udoka worked alongside Kyrie during his time with the Nets and understands his unique skillset.
This season, Irving is averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game over 52 starts. The eight-time All-Star is also shooting the ball at an impressive 49.4 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from behind the arc.
Under Kyrie’s leadership, the Mavericks have improved to 45-29 on the year and have won nine of their last 10 games.
On Sunday, the Mavs put up an impressive offensive display to end the Rockets 11-game winning streak in Texas. Irving finished the night with 24 points and 7 assists to guide his team to a 125-107 win.
