The nine-time All-Star point guard was separated from his NBA Finals teammate in a controversial blockbuster deal.
During a new conversation with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, nine-time All-Star Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving spoke out at length about his thoughts regarding Dallas’ stunning decision to ditch one of the league’s four or five best players, five-time All-NBA First Teamer Luka Doncic, in exchange for a single draft pick, aging and oft-hurt big man Anthony Davis, and Max Christie.
Even if Mavericks ownership supposedly balked at wanting to pay Doncic the five-year, $345 million supermax contract extension the organization could have tendered his way this summer, other teams would presumably have offered far more assets in a trade.
Per Grant Afseth of Athlon Sports, various Dallas insiders have called out Doncic following the trade for questions about fitness, chemistry and long-term upside, while striving to disregard how critical he was in guiding the Mavericks to two Western Conference Finals — including, one NBA Finals appearance alongside Irving just last year — across the past three seasons with almost entirely different supporting casts.
Speaking of fitness questions, Davis couldn’t survive a single game without incurring a new injury. He is now on the shelf for at least the next couple weeks with an adductor strain.
The 32-year-old Irving was separated from Doncic just months after the dynamic duo led Dallas to its first NBA Finals berth since 2011 (the season before Irving was drafted out of Duke with the No. 1 overall pick).
Irving took a broader philosophical approach to his separation from Doncic, noting that their bond is bigger than basketball and will endure past their tenure as teammates.
“Part of our job every day to deal with the public space, but there were real relationships that were built behind the scenes that will transcend just the basketball court, coaching, and then upper management,” Irving told Andrews. “I know that for my own peace of mind, just because we not only had two years together, but we got a chance to know each other as men.”
Irving, who’s no stranger to public criticism himself for various controversial decisions he’s made over the years both on and off the court, appears to be rooting for the end of critiques of both Doncic himself and Dallas for making the deal.
“Hopefully, we can tailor back on some of the public criticism aspects of it and really just maintain the kindness and the compassion that we have for each other that’s real every day, not just one moment or a sound bite that ends up being described as something that could be taken out of context,” Irving said.