Invoice Streicher-USA TODAY Sports activities
In all probability essentially the most well-traveled No. 2 in NBA historical past, Kyrie Irving has had three completely different stints at being a top-level Robin, first alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014 to 2018, then with Durant on the Brooklyn Nets for a bit over two seasons and now behind Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks. (Irving did give being a Batman a attempt, initially leaving Cleveland to get out from underneath James’ shadow to be the man in Boston, however that experiment lasted simply two years with Irving forcing his means out of there, too.)
Irving has tasted quantity of success as an elite No. 2, profitable a championship in 2015-16 alongside James with the Cavaliers, one which noticed the previous Duke Blue Satan hit the series-winning shot in what was a historic Finals towards the Warriors. He then obtained to the Finals once more final yr, that point with Doncic and the Mavs earlier than falling in 5 video games to the Celtics.
However we will’t ignore how a lot of a catastrophe Irving’s Nets stint was, as that scenario blew up in fewer than 4 years with accidents vastly hampering the workforce’s outcomes, as Brooklyn by no means obtained previous the second spherical of the playoffs throughout Irving’s time there. An unpleasant contract dispute in 2023 then in the end led to the enigmatic level guard’s departure from Brooklyn. What’s extra, with Harden additionally on that Nets workforce, Irving may need really been the workforce’s third fiddle at instances.
With a Huge 3 as potent as Durant, Irving and Harden, the Nets ought to have gained a championship. However Irving’s unhappiness in Brooklyn ended any probability of that taking place, forcing the Nets into an unexpectedly fast rebuild. (We will’t absolutely blame Irving for the Nets blowing up, because the workforce did have brutal harm luck. Plus, perhaps Brooklyn ought to have simply paid Irving and tried to determine the financials later.)
General, had Irving been much less of a malcontent in a number of conditions, he’d certainly rank greater on this checklist. Heck, had the previous No. 1 decide not pressured his means out of Cleveland to start with, perhaps he and James might have gained extra {hardware} collectively. (It must also be famous that if Durant hadn’t joined the Warriors in 2017, Irving, James and the Cavs may need very properly gained no less than yet another championship collectively. Durant’s 2017 free-agency choice probably modified so many legacies, together with that of Irving’s.)
Or perhaps Irving might have stayed with the Nets longer and gained a championship there alongside Durant and Harden. Oh properly, no less than his Mavericks stint has been drama-free and fairly fruitful. For now, that’s.
Regardless, as a No. 2 possibility, not many gamers in NBA historical past can match Irving’s means as a bucket-getter and playmaker, and he’ll be a first-ballot Corridor-of-Famer sooner or later for his contributions as an all-time Robin.
