Kyrie Irving is well prime ten relating to ball-handlers throughout NBA historical past. However on his current Twitch stream, the eight-time All-Star was requested to rank himself as an all-time level guard. Uncle Drew took the excessive street and arguably undersold himself.
“I’m prime 50 no less than. Prime 50 level guards,” Irving shared his rating in NBA historical past. At first look, it feels prison to not contemplate the Mavericks star as a top-25 level guard. Nonetheless, there are a number of contextual elements at play.
For one, Kyrie has at all times shone brightest because the second possibility. The 2016 NBA champion has by no means carried his personal staff, and whereas that’s not a knock on the shifty guard, it does have an effect on his statistical comparability to different contemporaries like Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard.
Moreover, Irving has suited up for the Mavericks as a taking pictures guard, additional highlighting how his skillset isn’t reflective of the normal level guard. His career-high in assists is 6.9 per recreation, which he averaged throughout the 2018-19 season as a Celtic.
However even with these elements, the highest 50 seems like an unfit placement for one of the expert guards of our technology. Kyrie Irving defined how he considered his legacy as greater than pure comparability. For Irving, the rating isn’t as vital because the impression he has had on the sport.
“I’m undoubtedly up there…I’ve created an entire totally different style, an entire totally different fashion with my play, you realize what I imply? Like, I’ve individuals legitimately finding out simply the actions, you realize. Attempting to determine like, how did this younger child named Ky get to be so swaggy on the court docket,” Kyrie Irving added.
Making a blueprint for future generations of guards is a priceless a part of his legacy and, in response to Irving, it places him in rivalry with the greats. Nonetheless, the Twitch chat couldn’t fathom Kyrie rating himself prime 50.
“They saying you too humble,” one of many interviewers informed Irving. This invited the 2011 Rookie of the 12 months to broaden on the thought course of behind his rating.
Kyrie Irving defined how he didn’t need to rank himself with the greats whereas he was nonetheless an energetic participant. He wished to reply humbly as a result of he nonetheless has a number of years {of professional} basketball in him. The 32-year-old added that after he’s retired in 5 – 6 years, he shall be extra candid about his all-time rating. However till then, he prefers to not oversell himself.
In any case, Ky is a championship contender within the Western Convention. Although his exhibiting within the 2024 NBA Finals was nowhere near his manufacturing with the Cavaliers, there may nonetheless be a trophy or two left in his profession. And if Kyrie Irving wins one other championship earlier than retiring, he may even cement himself as a prime 15 level guard of all time.
