

The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly engaged in trade discussions centered around Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook. Uncle Drew hit theaters in June 2018 and enjoyed a respectable showing at the box office.Īlthough he had just appeared in his third consecutive NBA Finals with Cleveland teammate LeBron James, Irving stunned fans by asking for a trade in the summer of 2017.Kevin Durant has reportedly reiterated his trade request to Brooklyn's owner Joe Tsai, making it clear that Tsai needs to "choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash." In 2017, it was announced that the Uncle Drew concept was being developed into a feature film, with former NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller and Chris Webber joining the fun. The spots enjoyed a long shelf life in expanded videos on YouTube. In 2012, he debuted the first of his "Uncle Drew" commercials, in which he appears as a cranky old man who rails about the good old days while dominating younger opponents in a basketball game. Irving is also known for his endorsement of Pepsi Max. He has also worn different versions of his signature kicks since joining the Celtics, including one with a clover-covered toecap, as well as the special-edition “mom” shoes. Inspired by watching the Academy Award-winning Whiplash, he began writing the film’s title on the side of his shoes in 2015.

Irving has taken the opportunity to express himself with his footwear over the years. the Miami Heat.Īlready an All-Star by the time he entered his fourth NBA season, Irving reached another plateau when he was given his own Nike signature shoe, the Kyrie 1, in December 2014. A few days later, he set another personal mark with eight steals vs. Irving averaged a middling 5.5 assists per game with the Cavaliers, though he produced a career-high 6.9 per game in that category during the 2018-19 season, buoyed by a personal best 18 assists vs. He set a career high with 57 points in a win over the San Antonio Spurs in March 2015. He averaged an impressive 25.2 points per game during the 2016-17 NBA season, and 21.6 points per game overall during his six seasons with the Cavaliers. Nominally a point guard, the 6'3" Irving scores well more than the "pass first"-type players who traditionally man the position. Furthermore, Irving found himself under scrutiny for publicly criticizing his teammates and for seemingly cooling to the idea of re-signing with Celtics after the season, which ended with a disappointing five-game loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the NBA playoffs. While Irving was able to return for the 2017-18 NBA season opener, the Celtics struggled to live up to the high expectations. On November 11, Irving suffered a minor facial fracture, and he returned to action a few days later wearing a stifling mask.

Things got off to a less-than-ideal start: On October 17, five minutes into the season opener, fellow Celtics newcomer Gordon Hayward went down with a fractured tibia.

Boston CelticsĪfter six seasons, four All-Star appearances and an NBA championship as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving embarked on the next phase of his career with the Boston Celtics in 2017. In late February, it was announced that the star guard would undergo season-ending surgery on his troublesome shoulder. He returned to deliver one of the best games of his career in late January 2020, pouring in 54 points on 19-of-23 shooting, before getting injured again the following day. Irving showed what all the fuss was about when he dropped 50 points in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on opening night, but he soon was sidelined for a lengthy stretch due to a shoulder injury.
