I'm only as great as my team and the individuals that are around me" - Kyrie Irving opens up on being a part of the Nets, aspires to leave a legacy in the game

Kyrie Irving is one of the best offensive talents in the NBA and many remember him for making one of the most iconic shots in the history of NBA Finals. With his team's fate hanging in the balance, Irving drilled an iconic 3-pointer to give his team the lead with under a minute left in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.

Although the shot will forever live on in highlight videos, Irving wants to leave a legacy on the game. With that being said, the NBA champion knows he can't do it all alone. In an interview with ESPN, the seven-time All-Star explained that he is ready to get back to doing what he loves and creating his legacy. Irving said:

"I'm only as great as my team and the individuals that are around me. And they keep me very grounded and balanced in terms of what my goals are, what our goals are, and we focus on those."

He continued, explaining his desire to leave an indelible mark on the league through a legacy that lasts a lifetime. Much like Kobe Bryant did during his career, Irving is ready to build his legacy over a long period of time.

"I have great aspirations of leaving a legacy in this league and however many years that takes me is, that's laid out ahead of me, but in the meantime, I just want to build with people in this industry and win together."

Going into this season, Kyrie Irving finds himself in a unique spot. After sitting out the majority of last season due to ineligibility issues, many are wondering how the former champion will look when he returns to the floor. With just days to go until the tip-off of the upcoming season, fans will soon see Irving return to the floor in hopes of helping the Brooklyn Nets make a run for a championship.

Kyrie Irving - 'A Contrarian Without A Cause'

Kyrie Irving (Philadelphia 76ers v Brooklyn Nets)

Unfortunately for Irving, he has made headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent years. Despite being an elite scorer and handling the ball better than most, Irving has received widespread criticism for things like skirting mask mandates at schools and sharing conspiracy theory videos online.

It's hard to ignore the fact that this has damaged his legacy in the eyes of fans, who have continued to wonder why the Australian-born superstar gets involved in controversies.

Fans are eager to see if Irving and the Nets can put together a successful season. With the addition of Ben Simmons, the team looks poised for a deep playoff run that would inevitably help cement the legacy Kyrie Irving wants to create.

In 29 games last season, Irving averaged 27.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.