Kyrie Irving was involved in a blockbuster trade last season that saw him leave Brooklyn for Dallas. Joining the Mavericks at the trade deadline, Uncle Drew received $38,917,057 in annual salaries from the Dallas side based on his previous contract. Meanwhile, one of Irving’s father’s good friends, God Shammgod is currently a part of the Mavs’ coaching staff. Both he and Kyrie are incredibly close, and as the former revealed on the Knuckleheads podcast a while ago, the two often roast each other during practice.
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God Shammgod is currently working as a player development coach with the Mavericks. Growing up in New York City, he became best friends with Drederick Irving, Kyrie’s father. Therefore, he has known Kai ever since he was a child. This makes their relationship as coach and player in Dallas all the more special. Moreover, Irving’s skill and ability are admired by Shammgod as well.
God Shammgod reveals how he and Kyrie Irving routinely roast each other
Ever since Kyrie Irving joined the Dallas Mavericks, he has been working with God Shammgod. Given the closeness of their relationship, the two enjoy training together and often dabble in some friendly banter. On the Knuckleheads podcast, the 47-year-old coach even hilariously referred to Kyrie as the second-best dribbler in the NBA, implying he is No.1.
Shammgod has always been good friends with Irving. In fact, one of the reasons why Kyrie may have chosen to move to Dallas could be his relationship with him. The roasting aside, they have been working a lot on their dribbling skills, even engaging in games of H.O.R.S.E. However, more than anything, watching Irving work has left the former Washington Wizards star in awe.
Shammgod said during the podcast:
“It’s all smiles because I’ve known his pops forever. I’ve known Ky since he was young…Like he always asks me questions about back in the day and stuff like that. It’s funny, because when he first came I went, “Oh yeah! Now we’ve got the second-best dribbler in the NBA!”. You know saying stuff like that. We play H.O.R.S.E and do dribble stuff, and I’ll be like, “Yo I still got it!”. And, it’s just amazing to see the things he can do!”
The eight-time All-Star is exceptionally gifted and despite all the controversy surrounding him, he continues to wow audiences with his talent. It will be interesting to see just how much of an impact he has for the Mavericks in the coming 2023-2024 season.
God Shammgod also knew Kobe Bryant very well and played with him in high school
God Shammgod is somewhat of an iconic figure in the basketball world. His insane dribbling skills helped him make a name for himself and allowed him to acquaint himself with some of the legends of the game. One of these legends was none other than the late great Kobe Bryant.
Kobe and Shammgod were around the same age and had known each other for a long time. They even played on the same AAU basketball team together in high school. In fact, their relationship grew stronger years after they played together, when Joe Bryant approached Shammgod, asking him to help his son with his dribbling skills.
Over the years, Shammgod has established himself as a great coach. Now, he finds himself with the Dallas Mavericks, where he continues to help players reach their full potential. Just as he did with both Kyrie Irving and Kobe.
