Dusty May Shares Interesting First Impression Of Mavericks Star Kyrie Irving

May had an opportunity to watch Irving work out on Thursday.

Jun 29, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; New Dallas Mavericks’ head coach Dusty May answers questions from the media during an introductory press conference at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Mavericks made a hire no one saw coming last month, with the franchise dipping into the college ranks to pull Dusty May away from Michigan.

If anything, this is a risky move for May. He was entrenched in Ann Arbor after leading the Wolverines to their first national championship in 37 years.

Now, May is tasked with turning the Mavericks around. Dallas has gone through plenty of chaos over the last 18 months, missing the playoffs in consecutive years after making the NBA Finals in 2024.

Though the roster is still in transition, the Mavericks do have a few established pieces for May to work with, which will be useful as he makes his way into the NBA.

The main attractions are obviously Cooper Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year, who appears primed to grow into something special, and star point guard Kyrie Irving.

Irving is a proven product, but he did miss the entire 2025-26 campaign while recovering from an ACL injury. Nothing is confirmed at this time, though there is an expectation that the veteran will be in the lineup on opening night.

May doesn't appear to have too many concerns after watching Irving go through a workout a few days ago.

Dusty May Draws Kyrie Irving-Picasso Comparison

Oct 20, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) smiles as he waits for play to resume against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Mavericks' new head coach met with Irving on Thursday while they were in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League.

May had an opportunity to observe one of Irving's rigorous training sessions and was clearly impressed.

That led to an interesting analogy and a sentence no one could imagine, as May mentioned Irving and renowned artist Pablo Picasso in the same breath.

"I spoke with Kyrie [Irving] and actually witnessed a workout this morning, and I felt like I left the gym watching Picasso paint a picture," May said during an appearance on ESPN's NBA Today. "We'll leave that [his return] up to later, but we're excited about Kyrie."

Dusty May speaks on Kyrie:

"I spoke with Kyrie [Irving] and actually witnessed a workout this morning and I felt like I left the gym watching Picasso paint a picture"

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24) pic.twitter.com/Rtc0Vg7TBf

— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) July 9, 2026

While Irving may not be able to craft a work of art like Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, he can paint a basketball court with the flick of his wrist.

Irving's array of dribble moves and footwork is the splash of paint on the canvas that the Mavericks need to create a masterpiece.

Outside of the court, Irving has grown into a willing leader, which probably couldn't be said earlier in his career. He's learned lessons from the past and has tried to pass that experience down to a Mavericks' squad littered with youth.

If Irving can still be most of his old self while coming off a knee injury at 34 years old, he'll continue to be a key cog in Dallas on the floor and in the locker room.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X for the latest news.