Former Celtic makes bold statement about Mavericks star Kyrie Irving

It's hard to take this quote seriously, which doesn't seem like it was intended to be.

Jan 25, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) drives to the basket as Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The NBA Playoffs are underway and the Dallas Mavericks are at home. They'll be picking in the Lottery for the second time in the last three seasons with a trip to the NBA Finals sandwiched between, so the season already being over is a disappointment.

Star guard Kyrie Irving is recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in March, which might keep him out for most of the 2025-26 season. But he's still as revered of a player as there is in the NBA.

READ MORE: Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki pokes fun at former teammate Steve Nash

Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics center Daniel Theis (27) gestures after a three-point basket during the first half in game one of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Daniel Theis, a former teammate of Irving's from his time with the Boston Celtics, is now playing overseas for AS Monaco. He did an exclusive interview with SKWEEK and opened up about his time in the NBA, and joked about his former All-Star teammate.

"I was in the locker room with guys like Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, Marcus Morris, Al Horford... so many guys I knew from playing 2K on PlayStation... And all of a sudden, you're sitting in the same locker room, sharing the court with them, and they talk to you about basketball, compete with you. That was the starstruck moment—just sitting there with all those guys."

Theis was then asked if he was ever cooked by a star in practice like Irving, to which he jokingly responded, "No. He knows he can’t score on me."

Irving can score on anyone, including Daniel Theis, so this was definitely said in jest. Theis made sure to point out how impressive it was to be in the NBA and see how hard the guys work.

"But it’s fun. It’s also amazing to see how much work those guys put in off-camera—what people don’t see. They’re not just naturally that good. They’re talented, but they also put in hours—before practice, after practice, lifting, taking care of their bodies. It's impressive."

Irving is facing a pivotal offseason with the Mavericks, as he could opt of a player option and go into free agency. He was on his way to earning a three-year contract, per reports, but we'll have to see what the two sides decide to do this offseason.

READ MORE: Former Maverick Steve Nash to join Dirk Nowitzki on NBA's Amazon studio show

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