Kyrie Irving cuts a humble figure as he lists where he ranks among top point guards ever
Kyrie Irving is one of the best point guards of his generation, although there's a debate about where he ranks in the all-time list. Irving was one of the obvious snubs of the Top 75 list two years ago, but it doesn't seem to bother the Dallas Mavericks superstar.
During his recent stream on his official Twitch channel, Irving was asked about where he sees himself in the all-time point guard list. The ever-humble Mavs star might have short-changed himself by saying that he's in the Top 50 before saying that his style inspired the next generation of players.
"I'm Top 50, at least. ... I'm definitely up there. You got the to think, I've created a whole different genre, a whole different style with my play. I have people legitimately studying just the movements. Trying to figure out how did this young kid named Kai get to be so swaggy like that on the court," Irving said.
There have been a lot of point guards in NBA history, but it's safe to say that Kyrie Irving is certainly among the Top 50. It might be even safe to say that he's in the Top 20 point guards of all time, with HoopsHype ranking him at No. 18 in their recent list last month.
Irving is among the most skilled point guards to ever play basketball and will likely rank first in terms of ball handling. He has seemingly created a lot of new moves that have made him unstoppable at times. His ball handling is one of the reasons why fans and players love him.
The 32-year-old Dallas Mavericks star is a one-time NBA champion, eight-time NBA All-Star, and a former Rookie of the Year. He has made the All-NBA Second Team once and the Third Team twice.
He also has an Olympic gold medal, a FIBA World Cup title and a FIBA World Cup MVP award on his trophy cabinet.
Kyrie Irving takes accountability for how he performed in 2024 NBA Finals
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals after going through the LA Clippers, OKC Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
It was the Mavericks' first NBA Finals appearance since 2011, but they fell short in five games against the Boston Celtics.
Speaking on his Twitch stream two weeks ago, Irving blamed himself for how he performed in the NBA Finals against his former team. He averaged 19.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while shooting 41.4% from the field and 27.6% from beyond the arc.
"I'm always going to take my accountability. It starts with me. ... Definitely got to set that straight. Did not play my best at all down the stretch in the season. It's been eating me alive in a healthy way," Irving said. [H/T The Smoking Cuban]