So I was having a conversation with someone about Kyrie Irving. This associate of mine was doing some research on Kyrie’s stats and accolades. After his brief research and observations on Irving’s accomplishments, his words were “Kyrie might even be a first ballot hall of famer”.
Now, I don’t know if he was joking or just trying to be “politically correct” because of who else would be on that ballot. But when he made this statement, I felt as if my soul had left my body.
I try my best not to be biased when I speak about basketball. Kyrie Irving has been one of my favorite players since he came into the NBA in 2011. As I watched the Evolution of Kyrie over the years, it is asinine to not put Kyrie Irving down as a first ballot hall of famer.
Kyrie’s determination, level of play, and mentality in the 2016 NBA finals was unreal. Irving averaged 27.1 points in that series vs. Golden State, right behind LeBron James.
If you watched that finals series, you could tell Kyrie was not afraid of the moment at all. The shot he hit over Steph Curry in Game Seven was one of the greatest shots in NBA history. Mind you, LeBron James is still on the team with Kyrie.
Not to mention, in the 2016-17 season, Kyrie averaged 25.2 points per game, again, with one of the greatest players of All-Time on his team in LeBron James.
I understand we may have to account for his accolades – 2011 Rookie of the Year, 8x NBA All-Star, 2016 NBA Champion and Duke University Basketball Player.
But the 2016 NBA Finals and the fact that Kyrie averaged over twenty-five points with LeBron on his team multiple times tells me all I need to know. These two things solidify his Hall of Fame spot. I do not even have to mention Irving’s skill level. He is arguably one of the most skilled players of all time. Even as a rookie and in his earlier years, Kyrie showed promise and showed that he belonged in the league. He’s been maintaining that ever since and I don’t expect to see him off of the Hall of Fame ballot.
Photo credits: Jason Miller/Getty images
Photo credits: Ezra Shaw/Getty images
By: Lemuel Mbuinga
Sources:
https://www.si.com/nba/2017/07/31/kyrie-irving-trade-rumors-destinations-cavaliers-lebron-james
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/irvinky01.htm
