Kyrie Irving has cemented his name as the ‘King of Handles’ in the league. The Dallas Mavericks star developed his skills from a very nascent stage in his childhood, which allows him to show such effortless performances on the court. In Episode 1 of his recently released docuseries Life of Kai, Irving revealed how he could dribble a basketball right from the tender age of 18 months old.
Advertisement
Growing up, Irving was surrounded by an environment where basketball thrived. And thanks to his father, Kai could explore his love for the sport in the Pro-Am games his dad would take him to. Kyrie’s docuseries explores several unseen aspects from his early life that have moulded him into being the star basketball player that he is today.
Kyrie Irving has been dribbling the basketball since he was 18 months old
When we say Kyrie Irving was born with his talent, it is the partial truth. The 2016 NBA champion revealed in his docuseries that he has been dribbling a basketball since he was over a year old. Growing up around basketball, Kai developed an immense love and affinity towards the sport, which still reflects in his passion to this day. Irving said,
“I have pretty much grown up around the art of basketball since I can remember. You know, my dad tells me stories of me being in hospitals, of me being out on courts at different pro-ams. You know, people cheering me on to continue to dribble. I’m about 18 months at that point. So, if you could just imagine an 18 month old just dribbling around with right hand and left hand…It’s a love-love relationship I have with basketball.”
Kyrie Irving’s dad was a coach at West Orange, New Jersey, which meant that he received quite the attention and tough love when it came to basketball. Irving’s first calling for the NBA came after he played at the Continental Airlines Arena during a school trip in fourth grade.
Thanks to Irving’s father’s connections, Kai also spent a great deal of time in Boston University’s basketball camps. Perhaps a great nurturing ground around basketball is what made Irving a formidable force in the NBA today. As a player in the league, Kyrie Irving has won one NBA championship, is an 8-time All-Star and has also won the All-Star MVP in 2014.
Irving reveals the secret behind his handles
Kyrie Irving has much to reveal from his unending bag of tricks for basketball handles. Many of his former Boston Celtics colleagues, including coach Brad Stevens, had high words of praise when it came to describing his basketball moves. Speaking to ESPN, Stevens once remarked, “He’s got really strong hands. When he shakes your hand, you know it.”
Kai is well aware of his skills and the impact it generates during crucial games. Definitely, this quite contributed to his clutch abilities that helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win the 2016 championship. Hence, it’s unsurprising that Irving claimed himself to be the “King of Handles” this offseason.
