Kyrie Irving became one of the most controversial players in recent years. His political takes and stands on causes he believed in began to affect his NBA playing career. He was forced to miss all home games this season and played in just 29 games apart from that. He was also near the James Harden trade drama. And he was the only player that was sometimes playing in the downfall of the Nets from the 1st to the 8th seed.
That’s what made him drop in the eyes of fans and analysts alike as one of the best point guards in the NBA. However, his performances when he has been on the court tell you otherwise.
Ramadan Kyrie Irving destroys the Cavaliers
We have seen a lot of Kyrie Irving alternate personalities come in and dominate the league. Untucked Kyrie, Masked Kyrie, and Uncle Drew are some that come to mind. However, more recently we have seen ‘part-time Kyrie’ take the floor. That was always going to be a problem for a team like the Nets that are looking to contend.
We saw Kyrie Irving score 34 points and dish out 12 assists on elite-level efficiency tonight. He shot 12/15 from the field and 3/6 from the 3. KD looked like the supporting star with his 25 points and 11 assists. They became the dynamic duo we were all waiting for. Even Andre Drummond showed glimpses of his all-star history with 16 points and 8 rebounds.
This all was too much for the Cavaliers that lost the game 115-108. Jay-Z was in attendance and was in awe watching the Nets play. One of the moments that caught the most attention was when KD initiated a fast break and Kyrie finished it with a beautiful layup in the 3rd quarter. The camera panned to Jay-Z whose reaction was one to see.
In a post-game interview, the reporter reminded everyone that Kyrie had this performance while he was in the middle of his fast for Ramadan. The energy that Kyrie put out was nothing shy of a prime Kyrie that isn’t fasting.
“Well, it’s a journey with God.”
Kyrie’s beliefs carried the Nets tonight to a guaranteed playoff spot. How much further can the Nets go with performances like this from Kyrie?