Kyrie Irving: 2nd Chance at 1st Impression
When Kyrie Irving left Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the off-season, the majority of people thought he was crazy for making such a drastic move. After all, he would be leaving the best player in the game and a sure shot of 4 straight finals appearances behind. Boston, led by Irving, has a solid team and has really looked impressive so far. During this early win streak he’s shooting at about 43% from the field and improving every night. When Gordon Hayward went down five minutes into his first game of the year, everybody thought the Celtics playoff and championship hopes were done… everybody except for Kyrie.
Kyrie and Lebron meet up at center court to show there’s no hard feelings between the two. Ken Blaze -USA Today
Kyrie is showing and proving to the world that Lebron needed him more than he needed Lebron. The Celtics are currently on a 15 win streak and have recently closed out the world champion Golden State Warriors. He’s proving that he doesn’t have to live in the shadow of Lebron James and can stand on his own two feet. He is producing at an MVP level and Boston looks to him for his leadership. This leadership helps young players like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum develop into the best players they can be. Boston is a group of scrappy players who simply don’t give up. This added leadership will help those young players down the stretch in close games.
Kyrie and young Celtic phenom Jaylen Brown share a moment after a close win. Brown is coping with the loss of his good friend. Photo The Sporting News
Kyrie has always been fun to watch. He is arguably the hardest person in the league to guard. He can score easily and always manages to get to the rim whenever he chooses to. It’s clear to see that he is very confident in his ability on the basketball court. Ever since touching down in Boston, Irving has praised Bean Town for being a “real sports city”. Whether or not that is a direct shot at The Cavalier franchise is beside the point. He wanted to be fulfilled as an NBA player, and had personal goals that he wanted to reach. How can you blame him for leaving? Sometimes a person needs to challenge themselves in order to grow. This growth is something that Kyrie yearned for, and before he could feel personally fulfilled, he needed to go through periods of being uncomfortable. For Irving, if it meant leaving a sure shot at another Conference title, then so be it. Right now he’s showing everybody he can stand alone as the focal point of the legendary Boston Celtics franchise.
The MVP chants have begun. The whispers are starting to get louder and the thought of Kyrie being the leagues best player isn’t so far fetched. He is only 25 years old and 7 years into a great looking career. He is one of the leagues most intelligent players in terms of basketball IQ and studies the game like a true student of the game. He naturally understands the game and plays according to how the game is flowing. If his shot isn’t dropping he facilitates more to get his team going. The more games that are played the more comfortable he will be with his team. It’s almost scary to think that this is all being done with a perennial all star out for the season.
The Celtics surpass the champion Golden State Warriors to extend their win streak to 14 wins early in the season. Photo Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Irving didn’t choose Boston. The Celtics invested in him after learning of his interest in leaving the Cavaliers. Coach Brad Stevens and the rest of the Celtic coaching staff have been nothing short of excited to see Irving suit up in Green and white every night. The storied franchise has given Kyrie the keys to the kingdom and he has taken on the challenge of striving for an NBA championship. He has handled this whole process with poise and let’s his game speak for him. The Celtics have a great mix of veteran and young players and look to make a deep run in the playoffs. I am excited to excited to see what the future holds for Kyrie and his Celtics squad. Salute.