Outside of his family, not too many people really know Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving like Mavs player development coach
God Shammgod knows him. That’s how close Shammgod is to Irving and his family.
Shammgod grew up in New York City where he developed a very close relationship to Irving’s father – Drederick. Shammgod has known Irving since Irving was just 10 years old.
“I knew his father before I knew him,” Shammgod told Mavs.com. “So, I know where he comes from, I know what his father is about, I know what he’s about.
“I don’t read clips of him. I don’t need sound bites of him. I actually know him, so that’s how I feel about it.”
On why some folks misunderstand Irving, Shammgod said: “I think anybody can be misunderstood if you don’t know the person. I don’t know if I would say ‘misunderstood.’ I would just say, not knowing. You don’t know what you don’t know. It works both ways.
“To me, I was always brought up if you don’t know me it’s hard for you to judge me. I understand where he comes from, and I can be biased, too, at the same time because I know him. I would never slander somebody for whatever they feel. They feel what they feel, but I know him personally and I know he comes from a good place and I know where his heart is from and I will always at any time stand up for him when it comes to that, because I know him.”
Shammgod first met Irving’s father when Shammgod was a budding high school basketball star in New York City that eventually saw Shammgod become a third-team Parade All-American in 1995. As their relationship blossomed, so did Shammgod’s relationship with the player who the Mavs acquired in a trade with Brooklyn last Feb. 6 and later signed as a free agent this past July 7.
“As a person, (Irving is) just a great person and a great teammate,” Shammgod said. “He cares a lot about people. Sometimes when you have knowledge yourself, it comes off wrong to other people. Knowing who you are and being sure of who you are, sometimes people look at it as arrogance or different things.
“But it’s just him being sure of himself and him knowing who he is and where he comes from. But other than that, if you meet him and you know him, you’ll know he’s a great person. You’ll know he loves peace, he loves to be happy and he loves joy.”
Mavs coach Jason Kidd has often spoke of the positive influence Irving has been to his team on the court and inside the locker room. Ditto from Shammgod.
“Since he’s been here it’s been all thumbs up and that’s all we focus on,” Shammgod said. “I know since he’s been here if you ask anybody on the team, they would tell you how much of a good person he is, how much he comes with good spirit and good energy.
“That’s all you can ask from a person every day. You can’t get caught up with the outside noise all the time.”
Not only has Shammgod enjoyed a rock-solid relationship with Irving, 31, that spans over two decades, they both are universally considered as legendary ball handlers. Shammgod enjoyed a 12-year pro basketball career, including spending the 1997-‘99 NBA seasons with Washington after becoming that franchise’s second-round pick out of Providence in ’97.
Shammgod is widely known as the basketball player who created the crossover dribble, which is aptly named the “Shammgod.” However, Shammgod, who has a signature shoe designed by Puma, is quick to point out that Irving didn’t get his ball handling skills from him.
“He got that from somewhere else, and from watching and learning, just like I watched Jason Kidd learning to pass without knowing him,” Shammgod said. “Kai did the same thing, whether it was me, (former NBA point guards) Stephon Marbury, Rod Strickland and Kenny Anderson. New York is born with point guards, so you have a lot of people that he can look and learn from.
“And then being here with me, I guess I’m the second-best dribbler still in the NBA. I still got my handles. I’m still in the NBA. I put my
handles up with the top-notch people in the NBA.”
Shammgod describes it as a surreal experience that both he and Irving are a part of the Mavs at the same time, especially considering how long he’s known him.
“Rod Strickland (who played in the NBA from 1988-2005) is his godfather,” Shammgod said. “Kyrie’s father can really shoot and of course everybody knows the great Rod Strickland was my mentor and my vet when I was at the Wizards. So, for me this is like a surreal moment because it’s like a full circle moment being from New York and his father being from New York.
“For me it’s an honor and it’s a humbling thing to know that I can have an effect on people – whether it’s Kyrie, whether it’s Chris Paul, whether it’s Trey Young, whether it’s different players in the NBA. When my name comes up it’s just an honor. To be with the best ball handler now, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Indeed, those memories with Irving run deep for Shammgod.
“It’s funny, becau
se I’ve always said even when people had me as one of the greatest ball handlers, I said, ‘Well, if I’m not the greatest ball handler, I will spark the brain of the greatest ball handler,” Shammgod said. “And right now where I sit, Kyrie is one of them.
“So, it’s an honor just to be a part of it, just to learn from him, just to learn from (Mavs guard) Luka (Doncic), from their greatness. Any advice I can do to help them, I’m always here to give to them.”
Shammgod believes Irving and Doncic will go down in NBA history as one of the greatest backcourt duos of all-time.
“Of all the great players I’ve been around, it’s such a great honor to work with him and to work with Luka at the same stage,” he said. “Him and Luka together are probably one of the greatest one-two punches ever that people are going to see this year.
“And for me, they have the opportunity to give advice, and to learn from both of them at the same time as well as they get advice from me. And then to top it off, to put the cream on the top, working under Jason Kidd — who I looked up 
to — it’s just like Point Guard University right here. Now we have probably the top two point guards in NBA and possibly the top 10 point guards ever, so it’s an amazing thing.”
As far as his relationship with Irving and his ability to work with him every day, Shammgod said: “One thing about coming to the Mavs’ organization, we invest in people. We don’t invest in rumors. So, being a Maverick — from (governor) Mark Cuban to Jason Kidd to (general manager) Nico Harrison — one thing about coming to the Mavs, when you come to the Mavs you come here with a clean slate and we judge you on who you are with us.
“The one thing about coming to the Mavs is you get a fresh start. You’ve got people here that understand and people here that’s been through stuff in their own life, so they judge you for you, not for what’s been done before you got here. So, it just gives you a better start and a clean slate.”
A clean slate the Mavs hope to ride all the way to the playoffs this season with Doncic and Irving leading the way.
“As far as I’m concern, he’s human,” Shammgod said of Irving. “I believe in people, so when it’s all said and done I believe people will come around and see him for what he is.
“The thing with Kyrie is he’s going to do way more in his life than he’s doing in basketball.”
X: @DwainPrice
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