Kyrie Irving has been in the league for 12 years now. It feels like only yesterday that he was a fresh-faced teenager challenging Kobe Bryant to a 1v1. Fast forward to today, he’s been a player for a dozen seasons, although he’s missed quite a few games.
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He’s gotten progressively moody over the years, just like how the Warner Brothers logo got darker with each Harry Potter movie. At one point, the entire NBA fanbase was against him, although he did not commit an offense as serious as many others. He got vilified for no reason.
Kyrie has been lucky to have games 6 times on his birthday in 12 years. But just like every normal person, he didn’t go to work on his birthday half the time. In those 6 seasons, he’s played only 3 times, the last of which came in 2022.
He played the Memphis Grizzlies sans Ja Morant when he was still on the Brooklyn Nets. He had just scored 60 points 10 days ago – the highest he’s ever scored in a game. And when it was time to suit up against a sprightly team, his tunnel walk showed no body language that inspired confidence.
Kyrie Irving came into the Arena like he was forced to come to work
Walking with a sullen expression on his face, Kyrie stepped into Memphis like a kid whose mother had asked him to go to school on a snowy day. And how did he perform after this walkway? He dropped one of his best birthday performances ever, not that there were many.
The energy he had in the tunnel did not match the one he brought to the court. In a loss to the Grizzlies, he scored 43 points and was the highest scorer of the match. He sunk 15 of his 27 shots. 6 of them were 3-pointers. Perfect from the FT line, he added 8 assists to that tally as well. Overall, he was an offensive monster, but could not guarantee a W.
He had Kevin Durant at his side, but the other players slipped up, costing him a win.
The two other games he played on his birthday were 1: his first year as a rookie, and 2, when he scored 31 points against the Hornets. He scored 13 points when he was a rookie, that was fairly forgettable.
The best, or rather worst part of this all: Kyrie Irving has never won a birthday game, ever.
What does the future have in store for Kai?
Uncle Drew signed with the Dallas Mavericks, but no one – believes he will stay there long-term. He has always given false promises to each city he’s moved to and then forces his way out. One cannot say he’s a model professional, but he’s no diva either.
He only wants to play – he doesn’t care where and how much he gets paid. Unless hefty fines are being levied, then he does backtrack. That too because those fines cut into his generosity – he doesn’t care about his bank balance as much as sharing his wealth.
Irving is a misunderstood genius – much akin to Kanye West. Both of them got into trouble for antisemitic rows, and lost contracts with their shoe brands. Will he get his dream move to LA when Bron is around? Maybe not, but the Lakers may not even need him.
