Kyrie Irving has faced his fair share of criticism in the past and is not immune to the outside noise.
After a tumultuous time in Brooklyn, Irving was traded to Dallas last year, fulfilling his wish.
While it hasn’t been completely smooth with the Mavs, Irving appears happier than he has in a long time, as seen in his performances on the court this season.
Following practice on Thursday, Irving spoke openly about how he is perceived.
“I think if you look at some of the guys on our team, we’ve dealt with a lot of naysayers, critics, and noise,” Irving told reporters. “Somehow I was labeled a chaos agent and a locker room cancer, but I’ve learned to protect myself and my teammates’ success.”
Irving has quieted many of his critics as the Mavericks have made it to the postseason.
Teaming up with Luka, Irving has formed a strong partnership, which will be crucial in facing a tough Clippers team in the first round.
Irving compares his dynamic with Luka to the one he had with LeBron James at the Cavs, pushing each other to perform better during games.
“I can look to Luka and say, ‘come on turn this up a little bit’ or he can do the same for me,” Irving said.
All eyes will be on Luka and Kyrie for their upcoming game on Sunday.
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