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Kyrie Irving is undoubtedly the best ball-handler in the modern-day NBA. A decade after his introduction to the league, he continues to dazzle with his incredible shot-making and dribbling abilities.
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, a year after LeBron James' departure. His brilliance was on display immediately as he led the Cavs in points and earned the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year.
After a year in the league, Kyrie Irving created a character that went to different cities schooling the younger generation of basketball players. Uncle Drew was first created as an advertorial for Pepsi but was later transformed into a movie in 2018.
There are several awe-inspiring moments from Kyrie Irving's career, but we will be focusing on career-defining moments. Irving dazzled on the court every night, which made choosing just five difficult.
As with every NBA player, no one is perfect. Kyrie Irving has some flaws in leadership and durability. But one thing is for certain, he loves the game just as much (if not more) than the other superstars in the league. Kyrie joined the famed 50-40-90 club in the 2020-21 season after averaging 50.6% from the field, 40.2% from three-point range, and 92.2 from the charity stripe.
To commemorate Kyrie Irving's decade in the NBA, here are his top five moments.
#5 Scoring 55 points against the Portland Trail Blazers
On the 28th of January 2015, Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers squared up against Portland Trail Blazers and came out on top. It was doubly impressive as they secured victory without James.
Kyrie's scoring touch was once again put on display as he converted 11 out of 19 attempts from three-point range. His incredible shooting led the team to a 99-94 victory.
#4 Scoring a career-high 57 points against the San Antonio Spurs
Kyrie Irving set a career-high in points after putting 57 past the San Antonio Spurs, a few days after scoring 55 points against the Trail Blazers. It was personal for LeBron as he lost the 2014 Finals to them. However, Kyrie took it upon himself to enact revenge.
The Cavaliers last led during the second quarter, but Kyrie Irving kept them in the game. At the end of regulation, he sunk a buzzer-beater to force overtime. Kyrie was perfect from the free-throw line (10-of-10), as well as from deep (7-of-7), to lead the Cavs to a 128-125 victory.
#3 Knocking down the game-winning shot on Christmas Day
The Cleveland Cavaliers faced off against the Golden State Warriors for the first time since they lost the finals, and Kyrie Irving recreated his clutch performance that sealed the win for the Cavs. While he shot over Stephen Curry in the finals, Klay Thompson had the unpleasant job of guarding him this time around and could not stop the turnaround fadeaway mid-range jumper that gave the Cavs the lead with three seconds to go.
The Christmas Day fixture lived up to its billing as both teams came out guns blazing. However, the Cavs won the game by a one-point margin (109-1019) against a dogged Warriors team.
Kyrie Irving ended the game with 25 points and ten assists. It was his last season with the Cavs, and the 2011 No. 1 went out in style, reclaiming his spot on the All-Star list.
#2 Scoring 50 points in his Brooklyn Nets debut
Kyrie Irving demanded a trade after spending two years with the Boston Celtics. In the 2019 offseason, he signed with the Brooklyn Nets to create a super duo with Kevin Durant.
Although Durant was unavailable due to injury, Kyrie Irving wasted no time in showing his worth to the Nets' front office. He exploded for 50 points in his first game as a Net, setting the NBA record for the most points in a team debut.
Although the Nets lost by a narrow margin, Kyrie Irving was the best player on the floor. He ended the game with 50 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and a block while shooting 50% from deep and 51.5% from the field.
#1 Landing the final blow to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals
The Cleveland Cavaliers had clawed their way back from a 3-1 deficit and forced a pivotal Game 7. Although LeBron James was the clear Finals MVP, Kyrie Irving was the best second scorer a team could ask for.
Kyrie Irving's heroics in the 2016 NBA Finals started in Game 5, where he put up a monster performance to prevent the Warriors from closing the series. He was tied with James for points, but was the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 40+ points while shooting over 70% from the field.
In Game 7, Kyrie Irving made the difference after sinking a contested three-pointer with 50 seconds on the clock. The game-winning shot completed one of the most inspiring comebacks in NBA Finals history and secured the championship for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
