“Now we got the second best dribbler”: God Shammgod recalls hilariously poking fun at Kyrie Irving when he arrived in Dallas 

Kyrie Irving joined the Dallas Mavericks around the February trade deadline. The move was aimed at giving Luka Doncic another star talent to play alongside, with the hopes of elevating the Mavericks toward being championship contenders. Things didn't go to plan, though.

Instead of contending, the Mavericks pulled the plug on their season, tanking their way out of the playoffs. However, with Irving now signed to a new deal in Dallas, there's fresh hope that their roster could challenge for the Larry O'Brien trophy. Of course, the excitement surrounding Irving never really died down.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Mavericks development coach God Shammgod discussed his excitement at getting to work with Irving and his initial thoughts when the trade went through.

"I've known his pops forever, so I knew Kai when he was young," Shammgod said. "It's funny because when he first came, I was like, 'Oh yeah, cool now we got the second-best dribbler in the NBA.'"

Shammgod continued:

"It's just amazing to see the things that he can do. He's one of the people that got it all. It ain't just ballhandling; he's got all the layups, shots, everything."

There were some teething issues when Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic first started sharing the court together. However, after a full offseason to develop some chemistry, Shammgod reckons the Mavericks are ready to make a deep run.

"They're gonna see this year."

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Tracy McGrady reckons Kyrie Irving is the best 1-v-1 guard in the NBA

In a recent clip shared on Instagram, former NBA star Tracy McGrady anointed Kyrie Irving as the best 1-on-1 guard in the NBA, above the likes of Steph Curry and Bradley Beal.

"Kyrie. I think there are a handful of guards that I think are must-see TV in one v. one," McGrady said.

"Steph (Curry). Dame (Lillard) is one of those guys. I even put somebody like Bradley Beal in there. De'Aaron Fox. But, to me, it's Kyrie. I crown Kyrie as the best guard in the league. One v one. Yeah."

Kyrie Irving is widely regarded as the best ball-handler in the NBA. As such, it makes sense that he's also seen as the best isolation guard in the league. After all, Irving has endless highlight reels of putting defenders on skates before hitting big-time shots.

Now, Mavericks fans can look forward to a full season with the best ball-handler in the league alongside one of the best all-round players in the league in Luka Doncic. Dallas has a chance to gatecrash the NBA Finals this year if its two stars can figure out how to coexist on the court.