MINNEAPOLIS — Kyrie Irving scored 36 points in a 124-105 Game 5 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves to lead the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA Finals since winning in 2011.
Irving, who won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, is excited to be back on the stage and sees the opportunity as reward for the team’s hard work, which has included series wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Timberwolves.
“I don’t take this moment for granted considering how hard we worked to get here, to qualify for the NBA Finals against some great teams like Oklahoma City, the Clippers and the Timberwolves,” Irving said. “They really made it hard on us, especially defensively, and kept us focused. I’m grateful to each and every one of them because they helped us grow as a team.”
It took seven years for Irving to return to the NBA Finals, so that gap felt like the right time to make it happen. Now, with the expectations of playing on the biggest stage ever heightened, Irving is obsessed with the details of the stage, including his gold jersey, shoes and court.
“It’s been a long time, seven years, but I also feel like it was the right time to come out here and treat myself and have some fun with my teammates,” Irving explained. “It’s taken a long time to get here, so I’m going to enjoy it, but of course I know this is just a pit stop on the journey. I can’t wait for the court to turn gold, I can’t wait for my shoes to turn gold, I can’t wait for my uniform to turn gold. For any kid, it’s a dream to get to the finals and it’s an amazing opportunity to play against the best players with the whole world watching.”
Luka Doncic gave the Mavericks momentum early, scoring 20 of his 36 points in the first quarter, continuing the incredible dynamic that he and Irving have built together.
“I was enjoying it, like everybody else was enjoying it. He had 20 points in like six or seven minutes and just watching that special performance unfold,” Irving said. “As a teammate, we just want to keep doing the little things to extend that lead a little bit more and keep playing well. I was happy with where we were, but I wasn’t happy because I knew it was going to be a long game. But when Luka starts like that, we’re a tough team to beat.”
“So kudos to him for a great series, a great overall playoff run, but he just got us going and eased the nerves and emotions from the start of the game,” Irving explained.
Doncic credited Irving’s leadership with helping him continue to grow and read the game differently in some ways. “I say it all the time, I’m so glad Irving was there,” Doncic said. “He helped me grow and see basketball a little differently.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised the strong complementary styles that Doncic and Irving displayed. Doncic got off to a hot start and Irving kept it going, scoring 32 of his 36 points after the first period.
“I think it was important for Kai to be able to play in tandem with Luka and vice versa,” Kidd said, “but Luka sent a message to Kai in the first half and Kai took that message and executed on it in the second half.”
Irving was confident the team could have a strong performance in Game 5 based on what he saw from them during shooting practice at Target Center that day.
“I was just trying to enjoy the moment with my teammates and thinking about how I felt during the shootout and how much preparation it took to get to this point,” Irving said. “I went to bed last night, woke up during the shootout and felt like I was going to play my best game and had the highest level of confidence. You never know how it’s going to play, but that’s how I felt and that’s the confidence I’ve had for most of these playoffs. Words, affirmations and a positive attitude go a long way to calm a team down.”
For Irving, who had failed championship dreams with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, this is his best chance since his time in Cleveland. But he’s not concerned about how his performance with the Mavericks will affect his reputation. It’s the team’s bond and success that matters most.
“Everyone has a past and will be judged by it, but I believe in doing the best I can and focusing on the future,” Irving said. “The stories and tales about me may live on forever and I’m prepared to continue hearing them until I retire, but that’s part of being in this industry.”
“Sometimes people forget that the NBA is still relatively young and doesn’t have as long a history as other sports leagues,” Irving explained. “My main goal is to be remembered as a professional who made a positive impact, not just on the court, but coming to work every day to make those around me better. That’s what’s important to me as a person.”
During his time with the Mavericks, Irving has been praised for his leadership in helping the team establish the momentum it needed to make a deep run in the postseason.
“It’s just unbelievable. After a couple of years of negativity, the atmosphere has changed and I’m just happy to be recognized for my role in that,” Irving said. “Obviously the atmosphere has changed in both Brooklyn and Boston. It’s not been an easy journey, so I’m just grateful to be recognized.”
“I’ve grown as a person and as a player. It’s tough when people only see my performance and don’t know the real me,” Irving explained. “Life isn’t always fair, but I’ve matured, stopped taking criticism personally, and become stronger. What I’ve always tried to do is let my teammates know who I am and what I’m trying to accomplish with them and remain selfless.”
One thing that’s been said about Irving from the outside for years is that he hasn’t won many titles since his time with the Cavaliers without LeBron James. Irving casually mentioned that, suggesting it remains a motivation. “Like everyone says, I lost three years in Cleveland and we didn’t do anything without certain players on our team,” he said.
At this stage in his career, Irving is confident that as a leader he can bring out the best in his team. Like any player, he can also build on past flaws. Now he faces the opportunity to lead a team that has always been a lower seed in the playoffs to a championship. This would be a historic feat, as the only team to win as a No. 4 seed or lower since the 1983-84 season was the 1994-95 Houston Rockets.
“I like to enjoy those challenges because when you’re a younger player, you take it for granted to a certain extent,” Irving said, “but now I’m in my 30s and I’m more comfortable and more confident in my position and I know what it means to be who I am. I’m able to take on leadership roles when I have good people around me and they selflessly support me. Look at the failures behind the successes.”
Irving stressed the importance of the team staying calm as they look to make an NBA Finals appearance, and while the team has already had a great run, they still have work to do before facing the Celtics.
“Chopping wood, carrying water, staying calm, keeping the main thing the main thing and just acknowledging how much we’ve grown,” Irving explained. “It’s been a long journey to get to this moment, so I’m trying to quantify the last seven years, but really it’s my whole career. It’s a long career and I look at it that way. It’s a journey and I’m just so grateful to be here with my teammates and staff. Everybody’s doing the little things to make sure we’re prepared and have good energy and you could feel that all around us tonight.”
Regardless of how the NBA Finals play out, Irving is proud of the strong bond he has with his teammates, one that allows him to give back with strong feelings of support — a bond he has sought with his teams throughout his career but hasn’t always had.
“I shared some very personal and vulnerable parts of my life with them and they supported me so much,” Irving said, “not just because I’m Kyrie Irving, but because we both have a mutual attitude of protecting and encouraging each other.”
“All I’ve ever asked of my teammates and the organization is that they protect me as I protect them. I’ll be vocal and I’ll be there for them. Mutual respect and protection is very important,” Irving explained. “How you handle challenges and emotions will ultimately shape how you’re remembered.”
The Mavericks will face the Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 6 at TD Garden. Irving has plenty of experience playing against Boston, both before and after his time with the city. He recently played two series with the Nets, averaging 23.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists in nine games. With Doncic at his side and a stout defense, Irving is building a type of team that relies heavily on offense, something Brooklyn never had.
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