During his time with the Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving has averaged 25.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists.
He has shown that he can be quite productive playing alongside Luka Doncic and the rest of the team.
Irving has found some big triumphs during his 12 years in the league but how different could his career have been if he had been drafted by Dallas instead of the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Speaking with Rachel Nichols, via ClutchPoints, Irving admitted that he wished he had been signed by the Mavericks at the start of his career.
Irving said hindsight proves that he could have used the mentorship and nurturing that would have been provided by the Mavericks back in 2011.
"I just think in my heart in 2011, me getting drafted as a young person… I can look back on it now & reflect & have 20/20 vision on it… I could have used this."
Kyrie Irving on how he wished he was drafted by the Mavs 👀
(via @Rachel__Nichols)pic.twitter.com/hiiYlbPXmt
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 18, 2023
Back then, Irving would have worked under stars like Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom, and others.
Ironically, he would have also played with Jason Kidd, who is now his current head coach.
As luck would have it, Irving was instead drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers and had a sensational first season, scoring 18.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
That was good enough for him to claim a spot on the All-Rookie team as well as Rookie of the Year.
Since then, he has earned eight All-Star spots and a championship with Cleveland in 2016.
But he has also created a ton of controversy and negative headlines for various teams because of public statements and strained relationships with front offices.
Would that have happened if he had been drafted by the Mavericks?
The past is the past and Irving is solely focused on the here and now and winning as much as possible.
He is currently sitting out of games because of a heel injury but when he comes back, he and his Mavericks will be hard at work trying to find even more chemistry and success.
No matter what he feels now, Irving will always hold a special place in Cavaliers team history.
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