Against the Minnesota Timberwolves last night, Kyrie Irving converted his 18,000th career point. He became the 81st player to cross that mark when he scored a bank shot against Mike Conley in the first quarter.
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“I was about to drop a tear bro, no cap,” the 32-year-old said after his historic achievement. “You know, just past few years man, the games that I’ve missed and injuries and I feel like I should have been at 18,000 a long time ago. But again, that’s all God’s plan so I’m not going to question it. But I’m grateful man.”
“When I heard that, I was like, ‘Wait, I’ve reached 18,000.’ That’s a lot of f**king points in the best league in the world for a 6’1” guard like myself,” Irving added.
Kyrie speaks about reaching 18,000 career points tonight:
“I’m excited about that! Seriously. I was about to drop a tear, no cap… That’s a lot of f***ing points in the best league in the world for a 6’1” guard like myself”
(🎥 @noahweber00) pic.twitter.com/JV6IdgCwpI
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) January 23, 2025
It’s clear that he’s grateful to join an elite few in the annals of NBA history. Especially considering how longwinded his journey to 18,000 points has been.
From his debut in 2011 to his final season with the Celtics in 2019, Irving never played fewer than 50 games. However, upon joining the Nets, his luck would change for the worse.
A right shoulder injury kept him on the sidelines for much of his first season and he would miss even more games in 2021-22 due to New York’s COVID vaccine mandate. In total, Kyrie played in just 103 games during his first three seasons in Brooklyn.
Thankfully, since joining the Mavericks, the shifty point guard has enjoyed a clean bill of health for the most part. He missed a few weeks of action at the start of 2025 due to a back injury but he’s still on track to record his third consecutive season with over 55 appearances.
Regardless of how the latter half of his career progresses though, Kyrie’s legacy is secured because his peers already view him with a great deal of reverence.
Kyrie Irving’s game is appreciated around the league
When the 2016 NBA champion was snubbed from the league’s 75th anniversary team, LeBron James and Andre Iguodala were among the first to criticize his exclusion. Along with them, many of his peers and competitors argued that he is one of the most skilled players to ever grace the hardwood.
In fact, fellow 6’1” point guard Damian Lillard showered praise on Irving last year for possessing “the most beautiful game“.
“Kyrie really different,” Dame shared on Cam’ron and Ma$e’s podcast, ‘It Is What It Is’. “He got the most beautiful game in NBA history… You can’t work on the s**t that he be doing, that’s a gift.”
That’s about as big of a compliment as any player can receive from an active opponent. However, that’s the beauty of Irving’s game. He beats players with skill and without any foul baiting or unethical moves. His incredibly deep bag has carried him to 18,000 points and it will likely carry him further.
If he can maintain his level of production and remain healthy, Irving should be crossing the 20,000 point milestone by the end of next season.
