"Don't f**king regress": Kyrie Irving shows off acting chips as he nails spot-on Lakers trade request
Over the Thanksgiving break, Kyrie Irving decided to link up with famous streamer Kai Cenat. During his time on camera, the All-Star guard showed that his acting skills are just as good as his basketball talent.
As the stream was going on, Cenat asked Irving to act like he had just gotten traded to the LA Lakers. He proceeded to shock everyone with his performance, making the situation seem incredibly realistic.
While on the fake phone call, Kyrie Irving asked simple questions like where he was going and when he was leaving. The Dallas Mavericks guard finished things up with a bold statement before ending his performance.
"You know what, I'm going to make you respect me," Irving said. "I'm a come in there and out work everybody. And this time, don't f***** regress."
Irving is currently in the midst of his second full season with the Mavericks. The 32-year-old is still one of the top guards in the NBA, posting averages of 24.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
Originally, Irving was brought in to be a running mate for Luka Doncic but currently finds him leading the charge due to the superstar guard being injured. He's done well as Dallas' main option, recently erupting for 32 points in a win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Kyrie Irving has been on the LA Lakers' radar in recent years
It's interesting that Kai Cenat picked the LA Lakers as the team Kyrie Irving was getting traded to. Not only were in they interested in acquiring him before the move to Dallas, but he was on their radar in free agency as well.
Aside from being a star-level talent, LeBron James played a big part in the Lakers' interest in Irving. The two won a championship together with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 20-time All-Star wanted to recreate that in LA. However, things never worked out.
Back in June, NBA insider Brian Windhorst reflected on the Lakers' reported pursuit of Kyrie Irving. He stated that the front office could have opened up enough space to put together a compelling offer, but opted for depth instead.
"The Lakers actually could have created the cap space to beat the Mavericks offer last year," Windhorst said. "But they elected not to. They elected to re-sign the players from the team that had just gotten to the Western Conference Finals."
Adding Irving would have given the Lakers an impressive star trio, but they are in a good position now. Under new head coach JJ Redick, they've looked like a revamped squad. LeBron is still putting up good numbers, and Anthony Davis has been one of the top two-way players in the league.
As for Irving, this summer will be an interesting one for him. He has a player option, meaning he could lock in with the Mavericks for another season or hit the open market.