Nets’ Kyrie Irving Talks Impressing Allen Iverson vs. 76ers
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Since he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers years ago, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has dropped jaws with the way he scores the basketball. And at 30 years old, the former first-overall pick hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
On Wednesday night, Irving and the Nets paid a visit to the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time this season. Considering the matchup was a primetime game on the NBA’s Rival Week slate, there was a lot of juice behind the game. Therefore, some Philadelphia sports legends were in the building, including the Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
Although Iverson is a die-hard Sixers fan, he’s never had a shortage of support for players on the other team. And as the Sixers and the Nets battled it out on Wednesday, Iverson couldn’t help but be impressed with Irving’s moves on Philadelphia’s defense.
As the Nets formed a potential second-half comeback against the Sixers on Wednesday, Irving busted out a move while finishing at the rim that not many players can do. Even as a guard who made a name for himself, being an impressive finisher while considered undersized in the league, Iverson couldn’t believe what Irving was able to put on display.
(See 1:18 mark for the exact play Irving discussed)
After Wednesday’s battle between the Sixers and the Nets, Irving was made aware of Iverson’s courtside reactions to his moves. With a smile on his face, the Nets guard detailed his work ethic behind some of his most shocking moves and even credited Iverson for some of the inspiration.
“I’ve been working on my game since I was seven, eight years old,” said Irving. “I mean, the first time my dad showed me that layup, though, I was in eighth grade when I was athletic enough to implement it in my game. Since then, I’ve just been studying my Dad, my Uncle Rod, AI. … They didn’t really have some of the elusiveness or lucidity of the sampler guards, but those guys finish well at the rim. So, I’ve just taken notes from some of the greats that have come before me, and I just want to be greater than them. So, I know I gotta try those moves out there against the best of the best, and it worked against Joel. Maybe next time he blocks it, but that showing goes, and it’s a special move in my package.”
Irving and the Nets’ attempted comeback on Wednesday was honorable, but they came up short. By the end of the night, the Nets guard finished by draining nine of his 15 shots and going 2-5 from three. With ten free throws to add into the mix, Irving scored 30 points on the Sixers. He also made it a double-double by dishing out ten assists.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
