Kyrie Irving is really no different than regular folks, other than the paranormal handles, next-level shooting and apparent immunity to any pressure situation.
There was a time when he wasn’t as mature as he is now, just like almost all of us. And Irving now has the advantage of perspective when he looks at his past. It’s been a journey that has led him here, to the Mavericks, where the people who know him best say has helped the superstar guard smile a lot more.
As coach Jason Kidd has said, any deep-dives into Irving’s past are no longer relevant. The perception from his days in New York or Boston or wherever aren’t really operative to where Irving is now.
“From the outside, you look at his calmness, he’s at peace,” Kidd said Sunday. “And sometimes at a certain age in life, that comes about. But also, with the people he’s around maybe . . . that could also have something to do with it.
“But you can see, he’s smiling, he’s happy and he’s been that way, I think, since he arrived last year at the trade deadline. I thought you saw that he was happy and at peace. And he’s been very consistent with that to this point. I think he’s just happy.”
Kidd has known Irving for a long, long time. And there bond goes beyond the coach-superstar relationship. And for Irving, he’s truly been done the right things on the court and in the community to stamp himself as a new fan favorite in Dallas.
That wasn’t always the case in his previous NBA stops.
And he doesn’t take what’s happened with the Mavericks for granted.
“I’ve been in this league awhile now,” Irving said. “I’m just grateful for those who have been with me since the beginning and all the new supporters, I’m grateful for them. It’s a whole new generation that’s watching me now. So I’m aware of that.”
And it’s helped him also be aware that being in the limelight doesn’t necessarily have to bring with it any stress or drama.
“I’m very responsible with what I say and what I do and how I approach my day-to-day life,” Irving said. “And as a young person, I wasn’t really thinking about any of that. I really didn’t have an understanding of who I was as a person. I had to figure that out.
“And what you’re seeing now is a version of me that I’m proud of. I look at myself every day in the mirror and give myself affirmations. I meditate, I pray. I’m just more consistent in my daily practices to help me stay grounded. Part of knowing who you are is knowing where you came from.”
Irving said he felt like some people earlier in his career prejudged him without knowing him, which sometimes happens with public figures.
But as he has grown into basketball’s middle age, he’s learned a few things.
“All that is just part of the process of growing up in life,” he said. “It’s no time to blame anybody or hold grudges. I just look at it as an opportunity to help the next generation see that you can make it through the fire and still rise like a Phoenix.”
There is no doubt with the Mavericks set to start the second round of the playoffs Tuesday in Oklahoma City against the Thunder that Irving has risen since arriving in Dallas. He carried the Mavericks in two games during the first-round triumph against the Los Angeles Clippers, coming up with big second-half showings to lead the team.
That was the case in the clincher in Game 6, when he had 28 second-half points to ice the series.
In his first playoff series as a Maverick, he averaged 26.5 points. This was the 18th playoff series he’s been a part of. Only three other series has he averaged more points.
Rookie center Dereck Lively II said he and his teammates have learned how to spot Irving’s hot streaks coming.
“Getting hot? For sure,” he said. “You can sense whenever he’s really locked in. Sometimes, it just takes a missed shot, maybe a layup or even an assist and you can just start to see how in-tune he is to the game and how locked in he is trying to find his spots. He’s not rushed. He’s one of the most controlled players I know.”
And, against the Clippers, Irving also stepped up on the defensive end, asking to guard James Harden for stretches in the second half.
Taking on that sort of responsibility is something Irving plans to do more of.
“Some of the best to ever play the game are recognized for doing it at both ends of the floor,” he said. “You have to have that extra gear to be able to go to guard the best of the best.
“I’ll be able to make more of an impact if I’m doing it at both ends of the floor. My offense will come and go. I feel like I can play with the best of them on that end of the court. But defensively, that’s where I want to make my mark. And I know it galvanizes the group.”
It certainly had an impact against the Clippers.
And that series also added to another legacy of Irving’s. He’s now been in closeout opportunities 13 times. His teams are a perfect 13-0 when they have the opponent on the brink of elimination.
“When I think about the 13-0 in closeout games, I just know we got to get there to that point, to be able to be ready to have the other team submit,” Irving said. “It’s one of the hardest things to do as a competitor.”
And nothing does more for a player to ingratiate himself with the local fan base than taking care of business on the floor.
But fans also have seen that Irving not only plays the game well, but also plays it the right way.
This is not New York or Boston. Are Maverick fans demanding? Of course. But they also know what it’s like to see greatness. And Irving has been nothing short of that this season.
X: @ESefko
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