PHILADELPHIA – Kyrie Irving is coming to grips with a lot of things right now.
It’s not enough that he lost his “hermano,” Luka Dončić, in a trade the likes of which has never happened before.
Nor is it the fact that he feels the pressure to be the anchor of the Dallas Mavericks, propping up not only teammates but a fan base that has been through an emotional wringer.
It’s even more than that.
He now is “the man.” Pure and simple. He’s got to be the new face of the Mavericks and while it’s a job he willingly accepts, he knows it’s going to take time for everybody to get use to it.
Irving spoke to reporters at length after Tuesday’s 118-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, a game in which Irving had 34 points and nine rebounds. The Mavericks played much better than in losses at Detroit and Cleveland earlier on this trip. But it was still a loss.
But one that paled in comparison to what Irving and the Mavericks are going through in the aftermath of the trade of Luka, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris for Anthony Davis and Max Christie.
Following is the question and answer session (lightly edited) that lasted roughly eight minutes after the Mavericks’ game against the Sixers:
Question: Obviously, we want your thoughts on the Luka trade and your first reaction.
Irving: Just really shocked and you just don’t imagine that you’re going to get ready to go to sleep. And then you find out news like that. Still a grieving process right now. Miss my hermano (friend). We had a lot of time together, Kieff too, and Maxi. We built some bonds that went beyond the basketball court. So if anybody can understand at home, when a few people leave in a trade, it’s going to be difficult. And that’s what we’re dealing with right now. This is a business. It’s way above my pay grade. I just got to adjust and be ready to welcome my new teammates with open arms. And kind of be ready to go back to Dallas to speak in front of our fans. I know they’re feeling it. I’m feeling it, too, guys. It’s just an adjustment period. I don’t want to downplay this or disrespect our new guys. They’re going to help us win and help us build toward a championship. But just like everyone else at home, who kind of see it from afar, it hurts.
Question: What were you doing when you caught wind it was going to happen?
Irving: Trying to figure out how I’m going to deal with all this and put my best foot forward as one of the leaders of the team. This is a weird case in NBA history to be part of. But it’s the nature of our business. And it is a ruthless business. You just got to be ready to pick up the pieces and still run toward the championship. That’s the ultimate goal why I play. Having other guys that are championship winners helps. But at the same time we still have to acknowledge that our little Slovenian president is no longer here and we got to adjust.
Question: There’s been a lot of talk of you and AD playing together for a long time, back to Boston. What’s it like to finally get the opportunity to do that?
Irving: I’m excited. This is a part of my career where I don’t as many years (left). I’m not in my early 20s and I look toward the future quite often and my place in it and how I can help other guys in the league. Getting AD, getting Max Christie, definitely helps my motivation and keeps my mentality very strong. He’s a great player, Anthony Davis, in terms of an MVP candidate. And I’m going to help him as much as I can, not just on the court but off the court. I’m just ready to open the doors and welcome these guys the right way. And at the same time, be human and understand my emotions are still involved in this. We just went to the Finals, had a good run, but still there’s some excitement on the other end of that.
Question: What did you want to know from Nico (Harrison, Mavs’ GM) when you talked to him about why this trade was done?
Irving: Like I said, it’s above my pay grade. It’s something that was in the works without a lot of people being privy to the information. As a player, you can only do so much. I reached out to Luka and made sure he was good, made sure his family was good. It’s time to move forward. And also Kieff and Maxi, they had a huge position in our team, a responsibility for us making it to the Finals last year, keeping everybody sound, mind, body, spirit. Now that falls on different guys. Guys are going to have to step up, including myself, and be ready for this adjustment period, which is going to be great regardless, but at the same time there’s going to be some healthy mistakes along the way as we integrate everybody.
Question: Luka was drafted to be the face of this franchise. Now, overnight, it’s going to be you, AD and the rest of the guys. How are you looking to embrace that challenge?
Irving: Same way I look at every challenge. It’s an opportunity to rise, an opportunity to learn more about yourself and figure out how we can get the best out of each other.
Question: There’s a special challenge for a franchise player and when someone like AD is traded, and you’ve had the experience, too, how do you find your equilibrium like, I was expected to do this with my former team but now I’m on a different team with different players and different chemistry that I have to learn on the fly.
Irving: The first question you got to get over is why. Why was I traded? How was I traded? We’re all going to say the same vocabulary that this is a business. But at the same time, there’s going to be emotions in it, there are human beings with families. We’re all thinking we’re going to spend the next three to five to 10 years together. When that gets taken off the table, you got to be professional, got to be mature. We’re still operating in the same space, we’re just rivals now which makes for healthy competition. But at the same time, you got to reason with yourself and give yourself some time and grace. That’s what I’m giving these guys in the locker room . . . It is an emotional time but at the same time, I’m one of the leaders so I got to smile through this, make sure my guys stay strong and we stay on the same vision quest, which is to win a championship in this league.
Question: How is the locker room? Has it sunk in?
Irving: “We’re putting the pieces together. The tone is improving just because everybody had questions and a little confusion. We’re just talking to each other and putting the game first and prepare and off the court some dinners we’ll have, make sure we connect and have the qualities of a championship team. Same vision, just guys in the locker room are a little different and we’ll have to adjust. But we’ll be fine.
X: @ESefko
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