Shoes and 'Uncle Drew'Īlready an All-Star by the time he entered his fourth NBA season, Irving reached another plateau when he was given his own Nike signature shoe, the Kyrie 1, in December 2014. He made a solid 38.3 percent of his attempts from three-point range during those years, including a career-best 41.5 percent in 2014-15. the Miami Heat.Īn excellent free-throw shooter, Irving converted 87.3 percent of his attempts with the Cavaliers. A few days later, he set another personal mark with eight steals vs. Irving averaged a middling 5.5 assists per game with the Cavaliers, though he produced a career-high 6.9 per game in that category during the 2018-19 season, buoyed by a personal best 18 assists vs. He set a career high with 57 points in a win over the San Antonio Spurs in March 2015. He averaged an impressive 25.2 points per game during the 2016-17 NBA season, and 21.6 points per game overall during his six seasons with the Cavaliers. Nominally a point guard, the 6'3" Irving scores well more than the "pass first"-type players who traditionally man the position. Furthermore, Irving found himself under scrutiny for publicly criticizing his teammates and for seemingly cooling to the idea of re-signing with Celtics after the season, which ended with a disappointing five-game loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the NBA playoffs. While Irving was able to return for the 2017-18 NBA season opener, the Celtics struggled to live up to the high expectations. However, Irving underwent season-ending knee surgery in late March 2018, and the Celtics were defeated in the conference finals by the Cavaliers. With Irving showcasing his clutch scoring ability, along with a commitment to playing energetic defense under coach Brad Stevens, the Celtics became a favorite to win the NBA's Eastern Conference. On November 11, Irving suffered a minor facial fracture, and he returned to action a few days later wearing a stifling mask.ĭespite the setbacks, the Celtics ripped off a 16-game win streak from late October to just before Thanksgiving. Things got off to a less-than-ideal start: On October 17, five minutes into the season opener, fellow Celtics newcomer Gordon Hayward went down with a fractured tibia. Boston CelticsĪfter six seasons, four All-Star appearances and an NBA championship as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving embarked on the next phase of his career with the Boston Celtics in 2017. In late February, it was announced that the star guard would undergo season-ending surgery on his troublesome shoulder. He returned to deliver one of the best games of his career in late January 2020, pouring in 54 points on 19-of-23 shooting, before getting injured again the following day. Irving showed what all the fuss was about when he dropped 50 points in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on opening night, but he soon was sidelined for a lengthy stretch due to a shoulder injury. With fellow top free agent Kevin Durant also on his way to Brooklyn, though ruled out for the 2019-20 season as he recovered from a torn Achilles, it was expected that the two All-Stars would eventually transform the Nets into one of the league's premier teams. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Īt the beginning of the summer 2019 NBA free agency period, it was announced that Irving had signed a four-year, $142 million deal to play for the New Jersey Nets. Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics looks on prior to the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Octoin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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