Coming up
In high school Kyrie Irving was one of the most spectacular talents ever seen. When I was in high school I got to see him play multiple times since we were both attending New Jersey schools. No matter where he traveled within the state the house was always packed to see his incredible abilities. Throughout high school he proved that he can effectively score the basketball as well as make his team better with his passing vision. Kyrie also became well known for his ability to finish at the basketball and his insane dribbling skills. All in all, Kyrie was a very hyped player, eventually leading him to attend Duke University. At Duke he continued to be a high level player and made his way to become the number one overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft.
Taking over the league
Since entering the NBA Kyrie has become a star of the league. He has proven that he can take all his talents and use them to dominate in the best basketball league in the world. While Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers he led his team in scoring and assist every season. Highlights of his fancy dribbling and passing have littered social media reaching a mass audience. This means that anyone with access to the internet has a chance of coming across him. Since becoming a perennial all-star, Kyrie has also raised his value as his player and earned him a sizeable contract. As we all know, the Cavaliers brought back LeBron James to his hometown to team up with Kyrie thus earning them the 2016 NBA championship. As teammates Kyrie and LeBron battled the stacked Golden State Warriors. These star packed teams went head to head and made a trend for recruiting all possible stars for rings. LeBron is argued to have started this trend since taking his talents to South Beach and then returning to Kyrie’s Cavs. Since then teams such as the Warriors and Thunder have gathered all possible stars hoping for maximum championships. Although some hate these movements by the stars and teams, one can not argue that it has changed the league. Teams are now gathering as many star as possible like a formula every year. However, Kyrie Irving made a very impactful decision in the 2017 offseason.
Going green
After playing with the Cavaliers since the draft and teaming up with arguably the best player in the world, Kyrie decided to take his talents to the team with the most total rings, The Boston Celtics. This decision was vital for shaping Kyrie’s legacy because it went against the trend mentioned above. After LeBron made his decisions to leave players like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George have all teamed up with other perennial all-stars with hopes of solidifying their careers with championships. This trend has shown weakness in these stars and lack of confidence because it shows they do not believe they can win with their current teams. Kyrie was unique and chose a great organization with a talented young coach in Brad Stevens. Now since the start of the 2017-18 season Kyrie has led the Celtics to the best record in the east, better then is former team, the Cavs. Kyrie has shown confidence in himself that he can create a championship team without linking with well known players. This move is important for the culture because it demonstrates a talented player continuing to prove himself and create greatness wherever he goes. In the future, I am assuming that other star players will follow Kyrie’s lead to prove themselves as well.
Sources: ESPN – Kyrie Irving Bio
NBA Culture 