Kyrie Irving fires back at NBA Hall of Famer's hot take

The 9-time NBA All-Star knows where he stands in NBA history.

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady recently made headlines by saying he doesn't think Kyrie Irving has the best handles he's ever seen, instead opting for Jamaal Tinsley, who had a solid career in the 2000s.

"Man, I don't think nobody had better handles than Jamaal Tinsley, even Kyrie," McGrady said on the "Young Man and the Three" podcast. "I think Jamaal Tinsley's handles was probably the best I've seen."

READ MORE: NBA Hall of Famer says Kyrie Irving's handles aren't the best he's seen

Feb 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) controls the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks star reacted to the clip on a recent stream of his, saying he doesn't think anyone moves the way he does.

He first laughed before saying, "When I see these things happen, right, when I see an OG like T-Mac come out and say 'I don't think anybody had better handles than Jamaal Tinsley, even Kyrie,' it doesn't bother me, because I'm a mix of all the great players that came before me. You gotta understand, I wouldn't be who I am without watching the guys that came before me.

"I just took it to a whole different place. When it comes to every portion of my game, I feel like I try my best to pay homage to all those great ones that came before me. So, when he's talking like this, I know he's talking about the guys he's seen that has better handles, but I just don't think he has the same movement. Jamaal Tinsley was not moving like me. I don't think anybody moves like me."

Kyrie’s response to Tracy McGrady saying Jaamal Tinsley has better handles than him 👀 https://t.co/tHoF3IiVuD pic.twitter.com/Cxk74CFgbk

— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) June 14, 2025

Most people would agree with Irving, as he's mostly seen as the greatest ball-handler of all time. There will always be people like Gary Payton who think he could've done something about it, but Irving is considered one of the most skilled players we've ever seen for a reason.

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