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Invoice Streicher-USA TODAY Sports activities
In all probability probably the most well-traveled No. 2 in NBA historical past, Kyrie Irving has had three totally 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 strive, initially leaving Cleveland to get out from beneath James’ shadow to be the man in Boston, however that experiment lasted simply two years with Irving forcing his method out of there, too.)
Irving has tasted an excellent 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 in opposition to 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 state of affairs blew up in fewer than 4 years with accidents enormously hampering the staff’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 finally led to the enigmatic level guard’s departure from Brooklyn. What’s extra, with Harden additionally on that Nets staff, Irving may need really been the staff’s third fiddle at instances.
With a Large 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 occuring, forcing the Nets into an unexpectedly fast rebuild. (We will’t totally blame Irving for the Nets blowing up, because the staff 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 listing. Heck, had the previous No. 1 decide not pressured his method out of Cleveland to start with, perhaps he and James may have gained extra {hardware} collectively. (It also needs to be famous that if Durant hadn’t joined the Warriors in 2017, Irving, James and the Cavs may need very nicely 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 may have stayed with the Nets longer and gained a championship there alongside Durant and Harden. Oh nicely, 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 capacity as a bucket-getter and playmaker, and he’ll be a first-ballot Corridor-of-Famer at some point for his contributions as an all-time Robin.
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