"I enjoy that": Kyrie Irving heaps praise on Luka Doncic's resilience and ability to score ruthlessly despite being sick
Kyrie Irving has applauded Luka Doncic’s show of resilience despite being sick. The Dallas Mavericks went up against the LA Clippers last night in Game 5 of their series. Coming into the game, Mavericks’ star man Doncic was certainly not 100% fit.
Doncic had revealed earlier that his knee has been troubling him for most of the playoff series against the LA Clippers. In Game 5, he scored 15 points in the first quarter and garnered rest of them in the remaining time.
The Slovenian national eventually ended with 35 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds. Although he fell three rebounds short of a triple-double, he gladly took it as the Dallas Mavericks thrashed the LA Clippers, 123-93, and will head back to Texas with a 3-2 advantage.
Speaking post-game about Doncic’s impressive, Irving said:
“The pride he takes in taking care of himself and when he’s not feeling 100% he still is gonna go out there and play, and for me as a teammate, I enjoy that.”
Catch Kyrie Irving’s comments below:
Kyrie Irving reacts to not being picked for the 2024 USA Olympics basketball team
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving was not included in the Team USA Basketball roster for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. In his place were Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards, Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton, Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday, and Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker.
Surprisingly, this year's Team USA roster for the Olympics roster only retained Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton from the 2023 FIBA World Cup lineup.
Speaking about not being a part of the team, Irving wished nothing but the best for his fellow NBA players who are part of the roster and said:
"I would have loved to," Irving said, "but I wish my brothers well, and I just didn't fit into this team. ... I have nothing but respect for those guys over at USAB. At this point in my career, I think my focus should be on winning the championship."