Kyrie Irving is one of the best players in the NBA, but he is gradually adjusting to his new role with the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas has an exceptionally formidable duo on paper. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have been regarded as some of the best NBA players for years, and now they are on the same team. As Kyrie emphasized in an interview with ESPN, he has tremendous respect for the Slovenian and, in a way, considers himself a mentor to him.
I think what you saw last year was us having the utmost respect for each other and not trying to step on each other’s toes. He has created a legacy here already, and I’m the new guy coming into Dallas. There’s a synchronicity that people have felt for the last six years with him and built that camaraderie with him. So I just wanted to add onto that.
He’s a winner. I’m a winner. He’s a big gamer. I’m a big gamer. We like going against the best. That’s where I feel like we connect… At this point in his career, in my career, particularly talking about me and Luka, it’s about how we galvanize the rest of the group. We help each other grow as people, and then the basketball part is the easy part.
I needed mentors when I was growing up in the league, so I feel like that’s the role I play here, being a very young mentor to Luka and to all our guys. Because I’ve seen a lot, I’ve done a lot. I failed at the highest level, I succeeded at the highest level, and I want to get back to that place”, Irving said about his teammate in Texas.