The Dallas Mavericks will look to win their second NBA title this month as they take on the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, and if they’re going to pull off the upset of the league’s top team, they’ll need their stars to be at their best.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have been sensational through Dallas’ playoff run so far, and against the depth of high-end talent the Celtics have, those two are going to need to be at their very best. For Doncic, it will be the first time he’s been in this kind of situation, but with the way he acquitted himself in the West Finals, the assumption is he will provide his usual production. Irving is a bit more of a wild card, but he’s the only guy in the Mavs main rotation with the experience of winning a championship.
That title run came with LeBron James in Cleveland in 2016, where Kyrie elevated his game to an incredible level over the second half of that series to help the Cavs pull off the improbable comeback over the Warriors. At the time, Irving was the youngster experiencing his first Finals alongside a grizzled vet in James, but now the roles are reversed with Doncic. For James, he loves seeing Kyrie back on that stage and heaped praise on his former teammate, while noting his jealousy watching the Mavs because he no longer gets to play alongside him.
.@KingJames talks about the gifts and growth of his former teammate, Kyrie Irving.
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— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) June 4, 2024
As James put it, Kyrie is the “most gifted player the NBA has ever seen.” There are a lot of players that share that belief about Irving, as he has an incredible amount of respect among his peers for his skill level as a playmaker, shotmaker, and creator. His combination of ball-handling, finishing at the rim, and tough shot-making makes him a favorite of a lot of NBA greats, who may have more physical advantages but envy Irving’s dexterity with the basketball in his hands.
While James will be watching proudly as Irving looks to lead the Mavs to a title, Kyrie will be facing another of his former teams in the Celtics. They’ll know his tricks firsthand and have a keen understanding of what he’s going to want to do. The problem is, knowing where Kyrie wants to go and stopping him from getting there are two very different challenges.