Former Duke Basketball One-And-Done Has Message for Critics

Kyrie Irving's injuries, suspension, and whatnot have cost him dozens of games per season over the past few years. But the dazzling point guard, whose toe injury early in the 2010-11 Duke basketball season led to him playing only 11 games as a one-and-done before getting drafted No. 1 overall, has a semi-fresh start ahead.

At 31 years old and looking forward to his first complete season starring alongside Luka Doncic, 24, for the Dallas Mavericks, Irving should still be in his prime. So he should be excited about the possibilities, maybe even more so with two fellow Blue Devils on the Dallas roster in Seth Curry (his Duke teammate) and Dereck Lively II.

Judging by Irving's heightened activity on social media this week, the eight-time NBA All-Star is taking stock of his professional journey thus far with eyes planted on proving to his detractors that his threat as a championship-caliber backcourt sensation has not subsided.

Case in point: On Monday night, Basketball Forever posted a timeline pointing out Irving's postseason losses, playoff absences, and various injuries since his 2016 championship campaign and 2017 NBA Finals appearance with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On Tuesday morning, Irving responded, "Pin this tweet and see what happens in the next few years."

Pin this tweet and see what happens in the next few years.

Hélà
🤞🏾♾🪶
— Chief Hélà 🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) August 1, 2023

Then, in responding to a tweet from Headpeace, which pointed out his underappreciated brilliance in June 2016 to help give the Cavaliers their first title in franchise history, Irving suggested that receiving proper credit for past accomplishments is not his goal.

No, it seems his goal boils down to only one thing: another ring.

I don’t want any credit or validation, I just want to get back to the STAGE and WIN.

Hélà
🤞🏾♾🪶
— Chief Hélà 🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) August 1, 2023

Irving, who landed in Dallas via trade in early February and is now with his fourth team across 12 years in the league, signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mavericks in early July, less than a week into free agency.

It appears he's where he wants to be now. That didn't always seem to be the case the past few years with the Brooklyn Nets, despite averaging 27.1 points per game in his time there, his highest mark for any franchise.

Perhaps the apparent chip on his shoulder this offseason will spark a highly successful next chapter of his career and a second (or more) ring for his trophy case.

Adding to that chip, one could argue that, at least in terms of recent postseason presence and All-NBA accolades, Kyrie Irving is no longer Duke basketball's top active product in the league following roughly a decade on that throne. Instead, that title may now belong to Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum.

Maybe Irving will use that as extra motivation — if he needs any.

Furthermore, if Irving (15,712 regular-season points in the league) manages to average at least 25 points or so without missing more than a handful of games, he could pass retired Duke basketball greats Elton Brand (16,827 points) and Grant Hill (17,137 points) next season to become the all-time leading scorer among NBA Blue Devils.

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