Kyrie Irving has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons since the Pandemic hit America in 2020. The veteran guard has been shrouded in controversy for the past few years, ranging from accusations of anti-semitism to widespread backlash for a lack of commitment to the game of basketball. However, the Dallas Mavericks still offered Irving a handsome $126 million three-year deal during this year’s free agency, with a player option in the third season. Meanwhile, a high school clip of the Mavs guard has resurfaced on the Internet, where he claims that his favorite player is Chris Paul.
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Several reports enthusiastically covered Kyrie Irving signing for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 as the quintessential NBA homecoming story. Irving grew up in New Jersey, supporting the then New Jersey Nets. According to his high school teammate Jhamar Youngblood, “He loved the Nets growing up — his favorite player was Jason Kidd — and said it was a dream of his to play for them one day.” Four years after Youngblood’s ‘Jason Kidd claim’, a recently resurfaced Kyrie clip has painted a different picture.
Kyrie Irving calls Chris Paul his favorite player in resurfaced clip from high school
A rare footage from Kyrie Irving’s high school days recently gained traction on NBA Twitter. In the clip, Irving claims that Chris Paul is his favorite player, much to the surprise of fans.
“Chris Paul, he’s my favorite player. I try to model my game after him,” Irving said, without any hesitation. The shifty guard also added that he needs to improve his “midrange” and “overall endurance” to take his game to the next level. However, fans were more interested in the 31-year-old’s idolization of Paul.
While Chris Paul is undoubtedly one the game’s greatest point guards, Kyrie Irving is definitely a better player than the Point God. Irving is a better ball-handler and shooter than CP3, and also has an NBA Championship ring to his name, unlike Paul. Therefore, fans were a little surprised that the eight-time NBA All-Star used to look up to Paul in his high school days. Kyrie Irving averages 22.4 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 13 games versus Chris Paul in the NBA.
While Irving has a much more impactful presence on the floor, Paul has better leadership qualities and is often utilized by teams as a mentor for young guys in the locker room. However, the 38-year-old’s inability to show up during clutch moments of important games has surely tarnished his legacy. Both the guards are of similar sizes and have a somewhat identical skillset. Therefore, it’s not hard to imagine Kyrie modelling his game after Paul.
The Phoenix Suns wanted to use CP3 as a bargaining chip in potential Kyrie trade
Earlier this year, the Mavericks bagged Kyrie Irving ahead of the February 9 trade deadline. However, the Suns were interested in compiling a package in exchange for Irving as well, which reportedly had Chris Paul in it.
Phoenix would eventually trade the veteran guard to the Washington Wizards. In a remarkable turn of events, Paul would end up with the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors for what might very well be his last shot at an NBA title.
