Rockets' Jalen Green Speaks on Learning From Mavs' Kyrie Irving: 'He's Tapped In With Me'
DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving is one of the most respected basketball talents among his NBA peers, especially among the young generation that grew up watching him play. It's easy to see why, his crafty handle and incredible shot making ability is a rare combination.
As a teammate, Irving takes pride in giving teaching points to his younger teammates. He does so even to his NBA rivals, whether during the season, or in the offseason when participating in runs. When facing Irving, it's often easy for players to be intrigued by his game and want to learn from him.
During a recent appearance on Paul George's "Podcast P" show, Houston Rockets star Jalen Green was asked about which rival player surprised him so far in his career. His choice? Irving. While doing so, he went on to explain how he's already been learning from the Mavs superstar.
"I would say Kyrie,” Green answered. “Think he had like 50 [points]. The way he did it was like he's stopping on the dime, pulling up on 3s, he's throwing the ball over his head, and I'm like, 'bro, what is going on?' ... And it's just like you are on the court playing against him trying to compete, but it's like you're just in awe seeing what he's doing."
Green went on to explain that he'd like to learn from Irving as he develops his game. The Rockets standout already has Irving's number and has asked him for advice when they face off against each other.
"He's tapped in with me like I got his number — we text each other," Green said of Irving. "He talks to me at the games too, but like, yeah, that'd be somebody I wanna learn from."
In terms of specifics, Green would like to take some of what Irving does with his footwork and general reads to enhance his game.
"Probably just like footwork and just like how he reads the game," Green said.
While James Harden has been the veteran superstar linked to the Rockets in recent rumors, Irving would arguably be a more natural fit. He's highly respected for his teaching presence for young players and Houston seeks to be a much more competitive team next season. It would check a lot of boxes.
Assuming that Irving returns to the Mavs, one player, in particular, that would continue to benefit from the superstar's teaching is Jaden Hardy. How Irving watches film and takes care of body are general ways Hardy has learned from him in their short time as teammates.
"Just watching. I like watching in the team runs, what he does," Hardy told DallasBasketball.com in an exclusive interview. "Also, how he takes care of his body. He likes to watch like a lot of film and taking things like that. So just taking things, what he likes to do and try to add to my routine and to my game."
Irving has to make a free agency decision this offseason, but made clear on a recent Instagram Live that he has yet to do so. He plans to take his time weighing his options before making a decision.
Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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