Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Andrew Irving is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born on March 23, 1992, he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and was named the Rookie of the Year. Irving has been a nine-time All-Star and a three-time member of the All-NBA Team.

He played one year of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils before joining the NBA. Irving helped the Cavaliers win an NBA championship in 2016, scoring the championship-winning three-pointer in the 2016 NBA Finals. After playing for the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets, he joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2023.

Irving has also played for the United States national team, winning gold at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. He has been involved in acting and advertising, including a popular series of advertisements as "Uncle Drew," which became a feature film in 2018.

Early life

Kyrie Irving was born on March 23, 1992, in Melbourne, Australia, to Drederick Irving and Elizabeth Irving. His parents were living in Australia because his father played basketball there after college in the United States. When Kyrie was two, his family moved back to the United States.

Kyrie grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. He loved basketball and watched his father play. When he was in fourth grade, he visited Continental Airlines Arena and decided he wanted to play in the NBA one day. Later, he played for a youth basketball team called the Road Runners.

High school career

Kyrie Irving played for Montclair Kimberley Academy during his first two years of high school. He scored lots of points and helped his team win its first state title. He then moved to St. Patrick High School, where he played with another top player, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

In his first season there, Kyrie helped his team win another big championship. Later, he led a team to victory in an international tournament and was named the most valuable player. He also played in several famous high school games and helped the U.S. team win a gold medal.

College career

Kyrie Irving chose to play for Duke on October 22, 2009, and this was shown on television on ESPNU. He played for the Blue Devils during the 2010–2011 basketball season with their coach, Mike Krzyzewski. In the first eight games, he scored about 17 points each game.

Unfortunately, Kyrie got hurt on his toe during the ninth game. He came back to play just before Duke’s game in the NCAA tournament against Hampton. Even though Duke made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament, they lost to Arizona. Kyrie scored 28 points in his last game for Duke.

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2011–2017)

2011–2012: Rookie of the Year

Kyrie Irving decided to enter the 2011 NBA draft, where he was chosen as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played in the 2012 Rising Stars Challenge for Team Chuck and scored 34 points, earning MVP honors. Irving also won the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was the only player to make the NBA All-Rookie First Team unanimously. That season, he averaged 18.5 points and 5.4 assists per game.

2012–2013: First All-Star appearance

Irving hurt his hand early in the 2012–2013 NBA season but still made it back to play. He scored a then-career-high 41 points in one game and became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in Madison Square Garden. He was chosen for his first All-Star game and later won the Three-Point Contest. He ended the season with averages of 22.5 points, 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

2013–2014: All-Star Game MVP

Fans voted Irving to start in the 2014 NBA All-Star game, where he was named MVP after scoring 31 points and making 14 assists. Later that season, he scored a then-career-high 44 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. He averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

2014–2015: Big Three formation and first NBA Finals

Irving signed a big contract with the Cavaliers and joined forces with LeBron James and Kevin Love to form a strong team. Despite some early struggles, the team improved, and Irving helped them reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. However, he got hurt during the Finals and couldn’t finish the series.

2015–2016: NBA championship

After recovering from an injury, Irving returned and helped the Cavaliers reach the NBA Finals again. In the final game, he made a key three-pointer to help the team win the championship. This was a big moment for the city of Cleveland, as it ended a long wait for a major sports championship.

2016–2017: Back-to-back chase

Irving had many great performances that season, scoring high points in several games. He helped the Cavaliers return to the NBA Finals, but they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

Boston Celtics (2017–2019)

2017–2018: Season-ending injury

Irving asked to leave the Cavaliers and was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played well in the beginning but later had to miss the rest of the season because of a knee problem.

2018–2019: All-NBA Second Team selection

After coming back from injury, Irving played well for the Celtics, scoring lots of points and helping the team. He made the All-NBA Second Team that year.

Brooklyn Nets (2019–2023)

2019–2020: Debut and injury

Irving joined the Brooklyn Nets and scored 50 points in his first game, a record for a team debut. He missed some games because of an injury and had to have season-ending surgery on his shoulder.

2020–2021: 50–40–90 season

Irving had a great season, joining a very exclusive group of players for his shooting percentages. He got hurt during the playoffs and the Nets lost the series.

2021–2022: Playoff disappointment

Because of health rules, Irving could only play games outside of New York City for a while. When he could play more, he had some big scoring games. The Nets lost in the first round of the playoffs.

2022–2023: Trade request

After the season, Irving asked to be traded. He was suspended for some games for not clearly saying he didn’t hold certain beliefs. He had some great games before being traded.

Dallas Mavericks (2023–2025)

2023: Debut and playoff miss

Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks and had a good debut. He scored 40 points in one game, making history with his teammate. He signed a new contract with the Mavericks.

2023–2024: Renaissance season and fourth Finals appearance

Irving had a fantastic season, scoring lots of points and helping the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals again. Some writers said this season was a big comeback for him.

2024–26: Luka Dončić trade and ACL tear

In 2025, Luka Dončić was traded to another team. Irving was chosen as an injury replacement for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game but later tore his ACL, ending his season and making it unsure if he’d be ready for the next season. He signed another contract with the Mavericks but was ruled out for the rest of the season as he continued to recover from the injury.

National team career

In 2012, Irving considered playing for the Australian team in the 2012 Olympics, but chose to focus on playing for the United States national team instead.

He was part of the United States national team that won the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Irving played in every game and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. He also helped Team USA win gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics, making him one of only four players to win both an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year. In 2025, Irving said he planned to play for Australia, known as the Australian Boomers, in the 2028 Olympic Games.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Awards and honors

Kyrie Irving has won many awards and honors throughout his basketball career. In the NBA, he is a nine-time All-Star and was named the Rookie of the Year in 2012. He also won an NBA championship in 2016.

Kyrie has also achieved success with the USA Basketball team, earning gold medals at the Summer Olympics in 2016 and the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014. He was also recognized as the MVP of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Additionally, he received several high school awards, including being named a McDonald's All-American in 2010.

Acting roles

In 2012, Irving played Uncle Drew in ads for Pepsi Max. He wrote and directed some of these ads, starring with famous basketball players like Bill Russell, Kevin Love, Nate Robinson, and Maya Moore. More ads came out in 2015 with other players such as Baron Davis, J. B. Smoove, and Ray Allen. In 2018, the ads inspired a movie called Uncle Drew, also featuring former NBA stars.

Irving also appeared in an episode of the Disney XD show Kickin' It in 2012 and lent his voice to an episode of Family Guy in 2018 titled "Big Trouble in Little Quahog".

Business ventures

Kyrie Irving made a big deal with Nike that was worth US$11 million by 2019. His special sneakers were very popular and were the second most sold in 2017, just after those of LeBron James. He also made sneakers inspired by TV shows like Friends and SpongeBob SquarePants, and they sold out right away.

In September 2023, Irving started working with a Chinese sports brand called Anta Sports. He became the Chief Creative Officer of Anta Basketball and helped create a new sneaker for the 2023–2024 NBA season. He also plans to hold youth basketball camps around the world with Anta. In December 2023, Irving invested in a sneaker company called Kicks Crew and became its Chief Community Officer, focusing on projects that bring communities together through art and basketball.

Personal life

Kyrie Irving has talked about his Muslim faith and has fasted during Ramadan. He enjoys reading, singing, dancing, and playing the baritone sax. He has a daughter with an ex-partner and a third cousin named Isaiah Briscoe.

Irving promised his father to finish his bachelor's degree at Duke, but later decided to focus on basketball first. He started a clothing line called PSD Underwear in 2015. In 2018, he began a relationship with Marlene Wilkerson, and they now have two sons together. Irving honors his Lakota heritage by donating to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, designing special shoes, and burning sage before games. He also follows a 100% plant-based diet.

Activism

Irving has supported many important causes. He showed support for people protecting water at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Through his K.A.I. Family Foundation, he has helped many people, like giving a home to the family of George Floyd, helping students at Lincoln University with their school debts, and giving money to help women’s basketball players during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also helped provide food and built a water center in Pakistan with the Paani Project.

Conspiracy theories

In 2017, Kyrie Irving talked about believing the Earth is flat during an interview. Later, he said people should research what they want to believe. In 2022, he shared a video online that talked about secret plans by some groups. Many people criticized him for sharing these ideas.

Irving also shared a movie that made false statements about history and Jewish people. This caused a lot of concern. He later apologized for any pain it caused and said he does not support hatred toward any group. The team suspended him for a short time while he worked to learn more about different cultures and communities.

Filmography

Films

Television