Passing the Torch!

It’s just isn’t fair. To have two of the most dynamic and great generational talents to serve as your teacher, and mentor. To think when he came into the league after only playing 11 total games at Duke that he would be on his way towards being something special himself is astonishing. Today we have a 25-year-old ready to show the world he is capable of leading. Kyrie Irving is a mixture of Kobe and LeBron. From the bold statement, challenging Kobe to a one on one when they met in the pre-Olympics. To requesting a trade out of LeBron’s wing. We are seeing another great player emerge before us. What amazes us is his stellar dribbling and acrobatic finishes; with the left hand. In six years, he has learned the most important thing and that is, sacrifice. He saw Kobe with Shaq. He saw Lebron with Wade. He saw himself with Lebron. All the greats go through it. The thing is having those people in your back pocket to be able to begin your own legacy. Lebron taught Kyrie how to prepare. Outside of resting here and there for some games, Kyrie didn’t have any major injuries during a Lebron led Cavs team. Before that, we saw Kyrie’s reckless nature cause him to miss more than 60 games to injury. Kobe, taught him how to be mentally fit. Instead of being in attack mode all game, pick and choose your spots and attack accordingly. Imagine: the mental of Kobe, the handles of AI and Shammgod, the IQ of LeBron, and the heart of Leonidas. Now, imagine Uncle Drew being, 6”6’. That would-be kind of unfair for him to be 6”6’. At 6’3” we have seen nothing like Kyrie Irving. He is a posed as they come. He has an insane work ethic. He isn’t afraid of anybody.

"Most players should be thankful that he’s not 6’6."

‘I Was Ready To Give The Keys’ to Kyrie Irving

Had he been playing in the 2015 finals, there is no telling what could have transpired. I mean, he was cool enough to shoot the game winning 3-pointer in the face of Stephen Curry, in the 2016 finals. To follow those heroics, he shot the game winning basket in Klay Thompson face, during the most anticipated Christmas finals rematch, when the addition of Kevin Durant took the world by storm. Fast forward. Let’s look at Boston. Yeah, they have Brad Stevens. However, they currently have a youthful movement with tons of talented young players. As the current trend of today’s NBA seems to be pairing the best young talent together, we look at what is shaping before us. As the East prepares for life after Lebron. What person to better lead them than Kyrie? How many young players can say they have learned from Kobe? While playing and learning from Lebron? Kyrie can. We saw that with MJ handing it over to Kobe. We saw Kobe handing it over to Lebron. We now have Kobe and Lebron both handing over their knowledge to Kyrie.

“That moment right there happened, and I was like ‘ok, I’m fine’ ” Irving said. “And all I was thinking about in the back of my mind was Mamba mentality. Just Mamba mentality, that’s all I was thinking.”

When winning is the end goal in this league you need a person that has gone to numerous of battles that have found a way amid the smoke. For Boston, this was a no brainer. Take this into the fact: we have 2 out of 3 of the greatest athletes, MJ completing that list, serving as your as Alfred. Boston having a young coach. Now they have a young proven leader with a network of proven greats, past and current, that will be his support system for years to come. Together, the two of them will bring gold back to Boston. Look at what they have been able to accomplish, without Gordon Hayward, the Celtics to the top record in the NBA with only one superstar, Kyrie Irvin on the team. That has never been done since Lebron. I know it is still the start of the season and things can change. However, I can only feel better and better as the season continues. Kyrie is leading by example and from the examples he has been privilege to come across. Yeah, he can score with the best of them still. What I have been liking the most is that he has been utilizing his team. He understands that it takes 1-15. He is having fun. He is teaching the younger Celtics what it takes to win games in the best or ugliest of fashions. He is being a floor general. He is picking his spots and attacking from there. His numbers may be down, however his identity is a part of the team’s aura.

I am not saying Kyrie Irving is the next one in a lifetime generational player. What I am saying is that this young man has grown up right before our eyes. At the end of the day, we all wish we had Big Brother's in Kobe Bryant and Lebron James in which we could learn a thing or two from on our journey to be a Superstar. His work ethic, competitive spirit, go get it attitude, and drive to be the best will have him mentioned with the all-time greats when we see the Kyrie Irving.

I cannot wait to see that Uncle Drew movie.