The ongoing heroics of Kyrie Irving as Luka Doncic’s sidekick has solidified his status as one of the greatest ever to do it. As a result, the experts recently included the Dallas Mavericks guard in the conversation surrounding the best number 2 star of all time. However, the narrative didn’t sit straight with Isiah Thomas, as he demanded an expansion of boundaries to include Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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Voicing his reasoning, the 2x champion wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I would like to enter Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar into this discussion not sure who the robin would be if Shaq and Kobe are being discussed.”
https://twitter.com/IsiahThomas/status/1796567119825600865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
This situation circled the latest discussion on ESPN’s First Take, ranking Irving amongst the greatest number two players ever. During the conversation, Stephen A. Smith refused to acknowledge the Mavs star as the best of the lot. To establish his stance, he even highlighted the presence of the NBA greats, Scottie Pippen and Kobe Bryant, as the sidekicks of Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal respectively.
One of Smith’s co-panelists, Kendrick Perkins, soon aligned himself with this viewpoint. Shortly after this, the panel unanimously embraced Irving as one of the top five 2nd choice players ever to do it, but not the greatest by any means.
.@stephenasmith isn't buying that a championship would solidify Kyrie as the best No. 2 co-star ever.
"You can't say that when there's Scottie Pippen to Michael Jordan. You can't say that when there's Kobe Bryant to Shaquille O'Neal. … Kyrie is ONE of the greatest." pic.twitter.com/0ex99EjjOz
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 31, 2024
This caught Thomas’ eye, as the expert panel, possibly mistakenly, overlooked the iconic duo of Kareem and Johnson. Consequently, he shed light on the latter’s contributions to the success of the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s. Zeke outlined how Bryant was at par with a prime Shaq, refusing to put the tag of number two on him.
It’s tough to disregard Thomas’ statement on the matter. Each duo mentioned in the conversation had won the NBA title multiple times to reach the status of Hall of Famer. Furthermore, their contributions left a lasting impact on the game, inspiring subsequent generations.
Interestingly, while paying tribute to these legends, Thomas never downplayed Irving’s impact. This added volume to the ongoing conversation around him, enhancing the hype around the Mavs star.
Amidst the hype, Kyrie Irving adopts stoic approach
Irving’s significance as the number two on a roster came to the limelight in 2016. Under the leadership of LeBron James, the then 26-year-old was a trusted knight to help the Cleveland Cavaliers win a championship. Since then, however, the 8x All-Star went a bit off track, devaluing his contributions for his subsequent franchises.
Much to his delight, the stars began to align once again this season. His partnership with Doncic has ensured an NBA Finals spot for the Mavs for the first time since 2011, and Irving has yet again become the best potential number two of the modern game, kick-starting conversations around him.
Amidst this hype, the Mavs guard maintains a composed stance. His eyes remain fixated on the bigger goal, as during a recent post-game conference, he declared, “I don’t care this point in my life being a 1A or a 1B…I just look at it as winning basketball. Doing the little things, what it takes…Just enjoying the competition and enjoying the failures and the success that come into”.
This captured how unbothered Irving was with the surrounding narratives. Undoubtedly, his sole focus on the process has been paying immense dividends this season. So, Uncle Drew is set to carry forward this approach as Mavs fans hope for the end of their 13-year-long championship drought.
