“I Wasn’t a Believer in This Kyrie-Luka Project”: Austin Rivers Reflects on His Initial Thoughts Regarding the Mavs

The remarkable duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving has ensured an NBA Finals spot for the Dallas Mavericks, for the first time since 2011. However, at the beginning of the season, there weren’t many who believed in the success of the Mavs. Austin Rivers has emerged as the latest name on this list. Their sustained success made the 31-year-old look back on his initial declaration, garnering the attention of fans.

During his recent appearance on The Ryen Russillo Podcast, Rivers mentioned,

“I wasn’t a believer in this Kyrie-Luka project based off of what history has shown. A lot of this has been Kyrie…I haven’t seen him play with this type of energy and aura since Cleveland and this is even different because he just looks more happy and at peace being the number two”.

This undoubtedly summarized one aspect of the entire scenario. After back-to-back disheartening stints at the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets, Irving has finally found his home in Dallas. Additionally, his willingness to let go of his intention of becoming a talismanic figure has smoothened the transition.

At the same time, the Mavs, especially Doncic, deserve immense credit for showing unwavering faith in Irving from the start. Despite missing out on the postseason last time, the group stuck together with a similar vision. One year later, they are reaping its benefits, exceeding the expectations around them.

As a result, the hype surrounding them continues to grow rapidly, with the duo aiming for the biggest prize.

What’s next for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving?

The #5 seeded Mavs defeated heavyweights such as the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference finals. Despite being the underdogs in that series, the Mavs won it by a 4-1 margin, registering a 12-5 run in the postseason till now.

This success has been down to the understanding between Doncic and Irving. While the Slovenian talisman recorded 28.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists, per game in this period, Uncle Drew registered 22.8 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds, per game, per StatMuse.

As a result, they have also drawn high praise from experts, with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst even comparing them with the duo of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Using the latter’s contributions in Game 4 of the 2012 Finals as a reference, he mentioned,

“What I am watching is the incredible balance. The way they take turns scoring, the way they play off each other….that is what is so impressive”.