Throughout Kyrie Irving’s 12-year NBA career, he has been known as a box-office performer. Fans attend and awed the house as he puts the ball into the basket with his flashy and crafty moves. Beyond his hardwood niche, he continues to grow as a player and fine-tune his approach to the game.
For the Nets superstar guard, his approach to the game has evolved over time. An approach he has consistently modified from studying his previous greats.
After Brooklyn’s road win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, Kevin Durant told reporters, “He approaches like a minute before the game starts.” Even if the stakes are different at the beginning and end of the game, he believes they are the same regardless of the time on the clock.He plays that way, is calm, cool, and in control. It’s down there and the pressure is on in tight moments. For him, it feels like a walk in the park.
“Great players understand that each possession counts, and if they keep the keel throughout the game, they’re usually in solid fourth.”
It’s no secret that the NBA’s best players have their off nights. On the flip side, it’s how the star reacts and survives tough outings and starts.Smoothie King’s night at his center was the best night for the Netsguard.
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In Friday night’s victory, Irving shrugged off a cold-shooting performance as he put Brooklyn up 106-100 with a 30-foot 3-pointer with 43.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Nets (26-13) superstar struggled to win baskets in a struggling Brooklyn first half. One night, Irving shot his 7/22 (3/10 from 3-pointer his territory) off the field to take a triple in his final minute when Brooklyn needed it most.
“I study great players and try to be better than them,” Irving said of his post-match approach. “When you look at the balance of the great representatives of professional sports, you can almost always find similarities in how they control their emotions at the end of a match.
“I’ve been able to learn that over time, but the biggest thing I’ve learned this year is being with everyone, discipline, going through a lot of things externally or internally and how we understand it.” I think that’s it..”
Ever since head coach Jack Vaughn took over as Nets headchair in November, he’s held the players accountable. Through that gritty mentality, he has demonstrated trust in his men throughout the competition. It paid off in his superstar guard Friday night.
Vaughn trusted Irving, who entered the fourth quarter with just nine points and a cold shooting slump, to put the ball in the basket in hopes of clinching the team’s 13th road win of the season. was visibly clear. The head coach didn’t hold back, and his last-minute effort showed not only Vaughan’s faith in Irving, but that of his star teammates.
“He has a way of embracing the moment, no matter what happened in the past,” Vaughan said after the match. [Durant] To kick that ball out at him, and Kevin had a little iso on his elbow, showing how they’ve grown together. [Kyrie Irving] You have an incredible ability to erase what happened before, to be in the moment, to make the most of the moment and shine. ”
