Tag: Kyrie Irving

Could the Nets have swapped Kyrie Irving for Mavericks’ Jalen Brunson?

The Brooklyn Nets could have been able to swap Kyrie Irving for Jalen Brunson before trading Irving to the Dallas Mavericks?

The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of their latest rebuild as they are looking to find their next superstar or two in the upcoming NBA Drafts. The hope is that Brooklyn can find a player that they can develop in-house, but there is one player that could have been with the franchise if certain events went differently.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently went on the “Knicks Film School Podcast” with Jonathan Macri to discuss various topics related to the New York Knicks after everything that has happened this summer. One of the talking points that came up was whether the Nets could have gotten Knicks star Jalen Brunson in a trade for Kyrie Irving during the 2022-23 season with the Dallas Mavericks.

“The funny thing is, if Brunson signs that extension with Dallas, I think there is a high likelihood that he would be with the Brooklyn Nets right now,” MacMahon said. MacMahon is giving his opinion here, but it is interesting to hear these comments from him given that the Mavericks are part of his coverage for ESPN so it’s possible that there could be some chatter behind what he’s saying.

“Mark Cuban has always been about chasing stars,” MacMahon explained. But, I think there’s a decent chance that Jalen Brunson would have been moved to Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving still ending up in Dallas.” During the 2022-23 campaign, the Nets traded Irving to the Mavericks after the two sides were unable to come to terms on a contract extension and Brooklyn received Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith along with draft picks.

To add to this revisited moment, the Mavericks had the chance to offer Brunson a four-year, $55 million deal prior to when he broke out with the Mavericks during the 2021-22 season. As Brunson explained on the “All The Smoke” podcast with former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Dallas wanted to wait to give Brunson the extension and after that, it seemed that Brunson wanted to go elsewhere which is how he ended up signing with New York in free-agency the following summer.

[lawrence-related id=59701,59698,59690]

Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg puts together his all-time Blue Devils starting five

During a Tuesday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, Cooper Flagg put together his all-time starting five for the Duke basketball program.

During a Tuesday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, incoming freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] got asked the hardest question a Duke basketball fan can face.

Who’s your all-time Blue Devils starting five?

Despite the litany of options on the table, Flagg actually put his lineup together pretty quickly. He settled on [autotag]Kyrie Irving[/autotag] at point guard, [autotag]JJ Redick[/autotag] at shooting guard, [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Williamson[/autotag] as his forwards, and [autotag]Christian Laettner[/autotag] at center.

It’s hard to imagine an all-time Duke starting lineup without two-time national champions Grant Hill or Bobby Hurley, but Flagg’s selections all have strong arguments. Irving and Williamson both went No. 1 overall in their respective NBA drafts, two of five Duke basketball players taken with the first pick.

Tatum might already be the best Blue Devil of all time at the professional level with three All-NBA First Team selections, an NBA title, and a potential second Olympic gold medal on the way at just 26 years old.

Redick remains Duke’s all-time leading scorer, and his 26.8 points per game as a senior in 2005-06 still sits untouched as the single-season school record.

Laettner, of course, needs the least explanation of anyone on the list with his back-to-back championships and the buzzer-beater against Kentucky in the 1992 Elite Eight. He’s scored more points in NCAA Tournament action than any other Blue Devil.

Are Kyrie Irving and Kevin Garnett the most talented to play for the Boston Celtics?

What about Bill Russell, or Larry Bird?

The Boston Celtics measure greatness primarily in banners and other accolades, but that is not the only way to measure the greatness of an individual player. The Celtics have been graced with some of the most skilled talents to ever pick up the game throughout their seven-and-half decades of existence. And as the NBA celebrates its own players’ greatness, sooner or later one may find the question of which players were the most skilled to play for the Celtics in the storied franchise’s history.

In a classic episode of the CLNS Media podcast “Celtics Beat,” hosts Evan Valenti and Adam Kaufman discussed this particular question with a Boston great in his own right, Hall of Fame forward Cedric Maxwell.

The trio debate whether Kevin Garnett and Kyrie Irving were the most talented Celtics to play for Boston, as well as some of the thornier issues related to that discussion.

Watch the video embedded above to hear their takes on this potentially contentious issue.

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=590969556]

Former Nets Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving highest-paid players in franchise history

Per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are the two highest-paid players in Brooklyn Nets franchise history.

The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of its latest rebuild after they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in exchange for as many as five first-round picks and three players. With the Las Vegas Summer League in the rearview mirror, it’s time to remember some of the highest-paid players in Brooklyn’s franchise history.

Per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and Alberto De Roa, the highest-paid player in Nets history is forward Kevin Durant. In the article released by the duo, Durant earned over $148 million during his team with Brooklyn as part of the four-year, $164 million deal that he signed in July 2019 as a member of the Golden State Warriors to facilitate a sign-and-trade with the Nets to bring him to Brooklyn.

Durant signed a four-year, $194 million extension with the Nets in August 2021 and that is currently the contract that he is playing on as a member of the Phoenix Suns. Despite Durant being paid at least $37 million in every one of his seasons in a Nets uniform, he had his best years in Brooklyn as he averaged 29.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 53.5% from the field and 40.0% from three-point range.

As far as guard Kyrie Irving, Durant’s running mate during those years in Brooklyn, the former Duke Blue Devil is now known as the second highest-paid player in Nets history as he earned over $125 million during his time in Brooklyn.

Irving came to the Nets in July 2019 after signing a four-year, $136.5 million contract in free-agency and he remained with the team until the 2022-23 campaign when he requested to be traded after being unable to find common ground with the Nets on a contract extension. Irving earned at least $31 million in each year that he donned a Nets uniform and like Durant, he also had his best years in Brooklyn.

Irving averaged 27.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 48.9% from the floor and 39.6% from deep during his time with the Nets.

[lawrence-related id=59509,59506,59503]

Which NBA players could cover Puka Nacua one-on-one? The Rams WR weighs in

Puka Nacua was asked whether these NBA players could cover him on the football field and LeBron is the only one he’s giving a chance

As a rookie, Puka Nacua was one of the NFL’s toughest wide receivers to cover. He set rookie records with 105 catches and 1,486 receiving yards, and that was despite him leading the league in drops.

If professional cornerbacks have trouble matching up with him one-on-one, there’s no chance any NBA players could do it. “Up and Adams” posed the question to Nacua and Justin Jefferson about which NBA players could cover them on the football field.

Unsurprisingly, neither wideout gave the NBA stars much of a chance, though Nacua did say LeBron James could “do whatever he wants on the football field.”

“Of course LeBron could guard me, man. Dang!” Nacua, a massive LeBron fan, said with a huge smile.

The only other player Nacua gave even a slim chance was Ja Morant. “In the red zone, maybe.”

Nacua laughed pretty hard at the idea of Nikola Jokic trying to cover him, and he also brushed off Rudy Gobert after seeing “what Luka did to him.”

“My name is halfway there so I think I got to be close, right?” he said, laughing.

As for Chris Paul?

“No. That’s an easy – that’s a head top. Throw that one above 6 feet, coach, and I’m getting that one.”

Now we just need to know which NBA players Nacua could guard on the hardwood because Puka is a bit of a baller himself, as evidenced in the NBA All-Star celebrity game.

No college basketball program has more No. 1 NBA draft picks than the Duke Blue Devils

Only two schools in NCAA history have more than two first overall picks in the history of the NBA draft, but the Blue Devils have five.

Only two NCAA basketball schools have more than two No. 1 NBA draft picks in program history. In fact, less than 20 schools have ever produced more than one. With such a deep pool of international players and more parity than most collegiate sports, it’s hard to reliably have the best player in the country.

Which makes it even crazier that Duke basketball has produced five top draft picks, two more than any other school.

Art Heyman became the first No. 1 pick in school history back in 1963, and the Blue Devils needed to wait more than 35 years before Elton Brand became the second in 1999. In the past 15 years, however, Duke has seen [autotag]Kyrie Irving[/autotag] (2011), [autotag]Zion Williamson[/autotag] (2019), and [autotag]Paolo Banchero[/autotag] (2022) each get their name called first on draft night.

The Kentucky Wildcats are the only other program with more than two No. 1 picks, and they still only have three.

Duke’s number might get even bigger in the near future with [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the top prospect in the Class of 2024 and a 6-foot-9 forward hailed as a generational talent, thought of as the presumptive favorite for the 2025 draft.

The 2024 NBA draft gets underway on Wednesday evening.

Kyrie Irving patiently waited on the court to comfort every Mavs teammate after NBA Finals loss

Super classy move by Kyrie.

On Monday, Kyrie Irving did not win an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks. Still, he didn’t let the realization of that moment stop him from remembering what was important: his teammates.

With Boston Celtics-colored confetti falling around him, Kyrie Irving could have jetted off to the visitors’ locker room, and no one would have blamed him. Instead, after paying his respects to the Celtics, he waited for every Mavs player to leave the court.

In a new video from Monday night’s festivities, Kyrie daps up a few people before patiently waiting for his teammates and several Mavs staff members to walk toward him so he could encourage and comfort them.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Former Duke basketball star Jayson Tatum wins his first NBA title as Celtics defeat Dallas 4-1

Boston closes out the Dallas Mavericks for 18th NBA Title, giving former Duke star Jayson Tatum his first ring.

On Monday evening, a new NBA champion was crowned.

It’s from a familiar franchise, too. The Boston Celtics, led by former Duke star [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag], won their 18th NBA title after dismantling [autotag]Kyrie Irving[/autotag], Luka Doncic, [autotag]Dereck Lively II[/autotag], and the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to wrap up a 4-1 series victory in front of a packed TD Garden crowd in Boston.

The Celtics entered the night with a massive chip on their shoulder after getting wrecked by the Mavericks down in Dallas for Game 4. The Mavericks blasted the Celtics by 40 points on Friday night to keep the series alive, and the Celtics came out ready to play and end the series. The Celtics closed the first quarter of Game 5 on a 9-0 run and never looked back.

For Tatum, years of failures and media slander now become noise. He’s cemented himself in basketball history as one of the stars of a championship-winning team for one of the sport’s most prestigious franchises.

Tatum joins a small list of seven other former Duke players to win an NBA title. Jack White was the most recent in 2023 as a member of the Denver Nuggets.

The former No. 3 pick out of Duke is now an NBA champion, a four-time All-NBA selection, and a five-time All-Star. On top of his championship, he is now set for a record-setting contract extension to make him the league’s highest-paid player. And for a few weeks, he’ll rest and then prepare himself to get ready to play in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with Team USA.

Social media reacts to Celtics winning NBA Finals vs. Mavericks: ‘Kyrie stomped on the logo and then got stomped out’

The Boston Celtics claimed their 18th title after a commanding 106-88 victory in Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks. Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and dished 11 assists while Jaylen Brown added 19 points and eight rebounds. Luka Doncic and Kyrie …

The Boston Celtics claimed their 18th title after a commanding 106-88 victory in Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and dished 11 assists while Jaylen Brown added 19 points and eight rebounds. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 43 points as the Mavs shot 29.7 percent from three-point range.

Here’s how social media reacted to the Celtics winning the Finals for the first time since 2008 and the second time in the last 38 years.

Kyrie Irving opens up on expectations of playing for the Celtics

Kyrie Irving has accepted the blame for the disastrous ending to his Boston Celtics career.

Kyrie Irving’s tenure with the Boston Celtics didn’t go to plan. He left the franchise under a cloud after verbally committing his future to the team before bolting to the Brooklyn Nets the following summer. Since then, Irving has endured a tenuous relationship with Celtics fans and consistently receives a hostile welcome at the TD Garden.

When speaking to the media on Sunday (June 16), Irving discussed the pressure that comes with representing the Celtics. He admitted that his relationship with the fan base is down to his handling of the situation. However, he did note that he still has friends within the organization.

“That’s what they expect you to do as a player,” Irving said. “They expect you to seamlessly buy into the Celtics’ pride, buy into everything Celtics. And if you don’t, then you’ll be outed. I’m one of the people that’s on the outs (laughing). I’m perfectly fine with that, you know what I mean. I did it to myself. They don’t welcome me with a warm embrace, even though I know a lot of people in the organization and I’m friends still with some of them.”

Irving is currently trying to beat the Celtics to an NBA Championship. His Dallas Mavericks team is heading back to Boston for a potential win-or-go-home Game 5. Boston leads the series 3-1. 

Since joining Dallas, Irving has emerged as a veteran leader. He is showing the type of commitment that Boston fans had hoped for when he was suiting up for the team. Nevertheless, Celtics fans will undoubtedly love to send Irving into the summer without a championship ring.

Boston is one game away from raising Banner 18. The hope will be that they can etch their names into the history books on Monday. Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=590969556]