After starting training camp, all teams usually organize media sessions. The Dallas Mavericks recently held their media session where they directed some interesting questions at Kyrie Irving. During the fun Q&A session, Irving flexed his impressive dribbling abilities, calling himself the ‘King of handles’.
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Streetball legend God Shammgod made an appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast a few months back. While talking to Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson, the Dallas Mavericks assistant coach revealed how he once jokingly called Kyrie Irving ‘the second-best dribbler in the NBA’. Shammgod shared a good relationship with Kyrie Irving’s father and now likes to indulge in banter with the 2016 NBA Champion.
Kyrie Irving dubs himself as the ‘King of handles’
During the Dallas Mavericks’ media day, Kyrie Irving was asked to name the NBA player with the best handles in the league. Without any hesitation, being as humble as he could, the 2016 NBA Champion named himself. Kai also added that he was the most creative with the rock in his hands. The interaction between Kyrie and the fan went something like this:
Question: “Who do you think has the best handles?”
Kyrie Irving: “I would say that I am the King of handles right now. This is just for the time being until somebody better than me does some even more spectacular stuff, more exciting stuff. But you’re looking at him. I feel like I have the best handles and also the best creativity out there.”
Irving isn’t wrong in picking himself. To be fair, Kyrie is one of the most special and shifty ballhandlers the sport has ever witnessed. Several past and current players of the league have often praised Irving for his handles. Damian Lillard took his comments a notch above and claimed that Uncle Drew had ‘the most beautiful game in NBA history’.
Kyrie once revealed his secrets for having outstanding handles
Never seen fumbling, Kyrie Irving has mastered the art of handling the ball. A defender’s worst nightmare, the 6ft 2″ star has broken several ankles throughout his career.
Back in 2013, only a few years into the league, Kyrie had already established himself as a player with one of the best handles ever. As a third-year player in the NBA, Irving revealed how he had counters to every move.
“I have counters to every move that I do. What I want (fans) to realize is that when I make a move, it’s really a simple move. It’s just done with pace, and it’s done off a counter of something. I only do those moves when someone kind of puts me in that position. When someone makes me feel uncomfortable, I’ll always have a change of pace or have a change of direction to kind of keep them off balance. They can only guess, so you’re in control. That’s what offensive guys need to remember,” Irving said.
While Irving might not be the most accomplished guard in the NBA, he’s often put in the same conversation as Allen Iverson while talking about flashy handles.
