Kyrie Irving

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Lore & Background

Irving played one year of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils before joining the Cavaliers in 2011. He won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the 2014 All-Star Game. In the 2016 NBA Finals, Irving made the championship-winning three-pointer to complete the Cavaliers' historic comeback over the Golden State Warriors. After another Finals appearance in 2017, Irving requested a trade and was dealt to the Boston Celtics. He played with the Celtics for two seasons, after which Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent in 2019. After four seasons with the Nets, he requested a trade and was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks in 2023, with whom Irving reached his fourth NBA Finals in 2024. He has also played for the United States national team, with which Irving won gold at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. In February 2020, he was elected as one of the seven vice-presidents of the National Basketball Players Association. Irving's decision not to get vaccinated for COVID-19 led to him missing the majority of the 2021–2022 NBA season.

In Their Own Story

Irving's path to Brooklyn began after being selected first overall by Cleveland in the 2011 NBA draft. He spent six seasons there, including winning the 2014 All-Star Game MVP with 31 points and 14 assists. After the 2017 Finals, he moved to Boston for two years. In 2019, he signed as a free agent with the Brooklyn Nets. His time in New York was not without friction; his decision not to get vaccinated for COVID-19 caused him to miss the majority of the 2021–2022 season. Despite these absences and his promotion of various conspiracy theories, including those characterized as antisemitic regarding a film he promoted, he remained a central figure until requesting a trade in 2023.

Reader's Guide

Throughout his career, Irving has promoted numerous conspiracy theories. Some of these conspiracies, including tweeting a link to the film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America (2018), have been characterized as antisemitic. For a time prior, Irving promoted a theory that the Earth is flat, which he later recanted. Irving has written, directed, and acted in a number of advertisements as 'Uncle Drew', which became a feature film in 2018. He has starred as himself in Kickin' It (2012) and has done voicework in We Bare Bears (2016) and Family Guy (2018).

Did You Know?

• Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia, and holds dual American and Australian citizenship.
• His mother was African American and Lakota; his stepmother Shetellia Riley is his agent.
• He was elected a vice-president of the National Basketball Players Association in February 2020.