The Dallas Mavericks game on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers put Kyrie Irving, among others, in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar place.
For the first time since the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, the Slovenian superstar faced off against Irving, with whom he developed a close relationship, and his former team.
It wasn't just an emotion-filled night for Doncic, but for Irving as well. The two former teammates shared an embrace at the middle of the court before the start of the contest.
Irving then proceeded to score a game-high 35 points in the Mavericks' 107-99 loss, but despite making it look easy, playing in the game against Doncic was anything but for the Dallas guard. In fact, it was downright "awkward," as Irving described to reporters after the game.
"Awkward as s--t," Irving said with a laugh when asked what it was like going up against Doncic. "It was awkward but now I can talk about the emotions of it. Yeah it was awkward but at the same time it was fun. We got a chance to feel like we were in practice going at each other. That was a good reflection point.
"And then just seeing the crowd cheer for him, just get him going. And see him make some of the tough shots I've seen him make thousands of times ... That probably made it even more awkward, but it was fun ..."
Doncic, when asked about seeing his former Mavericks teammates, said the relationship he has with Irving goes "way beyond basketball."
"Kai is my hermano. We go way beyond basketball."
— NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2025
- Luka on seeing Kyrie & his former teammates 🫶 pic.twitter.com/71RiX5hXFk
Irving, who was devastated by the trade of Doncic, agreed with that sentiment.
"Because we had a lot of fun bro," Irving said, describing how his relationship with Doncic blossomed. "We went to Madrid, we started preseason in Abu Dhabi, which helped us out a lot, man. When you're on the road and you get to know someone and their family ... And you're introducing everybody to your friends.
"Madrid was very special because that's where he played and I got a chance to meet some of his friends and his support system out there ... I think that just carried over into the season. He was in great spirits coming into the last season and it was easy to complement him while he was having an MVP season."
Irving went on to add that the closer he got to Doncic, whom he referred to as an "innocent kid," the more he sought to "protect him."
"Playing with him, he's just an innocent kid," Irving said. "Same time, just ultra talented. Whole world is in front of him. You want to protect people like that too because I feel like some people come at him crazy, which is unnecessary. He responds in his own way, but he's not from America. He's not used to the culture here, at times, especially when the narrative starts spinning.
"So my goal was just to protect him and that's why it goes deeper than basketball. Been out a few times where our families have connected. This is one of those lifetime things for me. I think he feels the same way. If he doesn't, I'll put him in a headlock."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kyrie Irving Had Blunt, NSFW Line on What It Was Like Facing Luka Doncic.
