Kyrie Irving Speaks on Mavs Relationships & Life: 'I'm In A Balanced Place'
When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving before this season's deadline, there was no denying the elite talent he brings alongside MVP candidate Luka Doncic. However, given Irving's history of bumpy exits from each of the three franchises he was with before the Mavs, there were legitimate reasons for talking heads to to second guess the move.
The eight-time All-Star is in a situation he's never been in before, though, as he has strong relationships with people at every level of the Mavs' organization. In an interview with Dallas Weekly's Shad Miller, Irving spoke about those Mavs relationships and how he's in as balanced of a place as he's ever been in life.
"Man, it goes back years with Nico Harrison," Irving said. "Seeing me in high school, seeing the potential that I had and being a part of one of the greatest brands in the world, so it was a matchup that was made way in the past, a relationship that was made to grow and that’s all we’re doing now. I feel like I’m in a different place in my life at 30 years old [and] he’s in a different place being the GM. Now we can unite and do some great things, hopefully in the future [too]."
Irving went on to talk about his relationship with Mavs coach Jason Kidd as well, a player he looked up to as a kid.
"[And] J-Kidd, I mean I’ve been watching him since I was a little pup going to the Nets games watching him put up dang near triple doubles every night," Irving said. "Of course, I watched him when he was in Dallas, watched him when he was in Phoenix, but I got to watch him up close when I was in New Jersey. So, there’s a respect that I have for his legacy, his Hall of Fame career, and what he brings as a coach. So, Nico and J-Kidd are two special people, for sure."
When it comes to life off the court, Irving feels like he's in the best mental, spiritual and physical state he's ever been in. And if that is truly the case, that will likely translate to more on-court success for both Irving and the Mavs.
"I try to live a stress free life. Pray every day, meditate every day, balance myself. Make sure I’m breathing, breathing through my emotions and just not take for granted the small things God has blessed us with," Irving said.
"Simple ingredients, simplifying life has allowed my love to grow for others. Allowed my love to grow for myself because self love’s the best love. Self respect is the best respect and people start treating you differently when you start treating yourself differently. Creating those healthy boundaries with any and every relationship.
"Though my journey has not been perfect, I’ve been through some crazy situations based on things I’ve done or things that I’ve said. I believe those situations are avoidable now because I’m in a balanced place: emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically. It’s all been something I’ve been able to learn and I’m grateful for that."
Just because Kyrie Irving's past hasn't been perfect doesn't mean that his present and future can't be better. That's the goal for his Dallas Mavericks' tenure, as both sides are hoping this is the start of a long and successful partnership that ultimately leads to the franchise's second championship.
With the Mavs set to have a fully-healthy roster after the All-Star break, it's time for Irving, Doncic and the rest of the crew to turn their newfound "balanced place" into wins as they look to scale up the Western Conference ladder.
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