Kyrie Irving makes his feelings clear on All-Star candidacy amid injury-hit season
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving recently shared his thoughts on his chances of making the All-Star team this season. The eight-time All-Star expressed his feelings, offering an honest perspective on his candidacy. Mike Curtis highlighted these remarks on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Curtis, who is a Dallas Mavericks beat writer for the "Dallas Morning News," reiterated Irving's comments on his All-Star chances this season as he questioned Kyrie's thoughts on the subject:
"Does Kyrie Irving feel like he's done enough to be an All-Star?" he pondered on X.
The writer then quoted the former Cavalier's thoughts on the subject as Kyrie believed he was already an All-Star in the league:
"I'm an All-Star regardless in this league, whether I'm voted in or not. I definitely feel like I've put my best foot forward this season, if that's honored by the guys voting for me, or the fans or the media, I'm appreciative," Kyrie expressed hoping to be a part of the All-Star set up.
Kyrie currently averages 23.9 points per game, which is the second-best statistic within the Mavericks roster, with only Doncic having a better return with 28.1 points per game. However, Irving has played 32 games this season, which is 10 games more than Luka Doncic, who has only played 22 games so far this season.
Kyrie, who was snubbed last year, will hope for a spot as the All-Star game takes place on the West Coast, with the Chase Center in San Francisco hosting the event.
Kyrie Irving snubbed for 2024 All-Star game despite fans voting in millions
Kyrie Irving was one of the notable players overlooked during the 2024 All-Star weekend, which took place at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. Despite receiving strong support from fans, he was not favored by players and the media in the selection process, ultimately finishing fifth among the Western Conference guards.
According to fan polls, Kyrie had over one million votes and ranked fourth in the fan rankings, only behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry and teammate Luka Doncic. However, despite the overwhelming support from fans, Kyrie only received 32 votes and ranked 7th in player polls while hardly getting any love from the media.
This disparity in votes meant that Kyrie finished fifth in the rankings and missed out on the All-Star game despite a resurgence in form during the latter half of the year. This was mostly down to his slow start and the fact that he missed 22 games with a foot and hand injury, which meant he had not played enough games to be considered as an All-Star.
Despite being snubbed, the overwhelming support from fans highlights Irving's popularity as he aims to change the narrative and participate in the newly revamped All-Star Weekend on February 16.