Kyrie Irving

Irving announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of eligibility and enter the 2011 NBA draft, where he was selected with the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers.[33][34] Irving was named to the 2012 Rising Stars Challenge, where he played for Team Chuck. Irving scored 34 points in the game, going 8-of-8 from three-point range, and earned MVP honors.[35] He also won the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year Award with 117 of a possible 120 first-place votes.[36] He was the only unanimous selection to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.[37] For the season, Irving averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 assists and shot 46.9% from the field, including 39.9% on three-pointers.[38]

Irving during warm-ups in 2012

While practicing with the Cavaliers in the NBA Summer League on July 14, 2012, Irving sustained a broken right hand after reportedly slapping it against a padded wall after committing a turnover.[39] "I am a little disappointed", he said. "I have to be more responsible about my health. It was just crazy. It happened so fast."[39] It was announced that Irving would require hand surgery on July 18.[40][41]

At the start of the 2012–13 NBA season, Irving injured his index finger in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He played in the Cavaliers' next game, but the injury forced him to miss three weeks of action.[42] In his second game back, while donning a black protective face mask to protect a broken bone he suffered against Milwaukee, Irving scored his then career-high 41 points against the New York Knicks. He became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in Madison Square Garden; he was a year younger than Michael Jordan, who did it in 1985.[43]

The coaches selected Irving to play in his first All-Star game. He finished with 15 points, four assists, and three rebounds.[44] He also participated in the Rising Stars Challenge again, scoring 32 points for Team Shaq in a losing effort.[45] Irving participated in the Three-Point Contest and recorded 23 points in the final round to win the event.[46] He ended his second season with averages of 22.5 points, 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.[47]

Irving with the Cleveland Cavaliers in October 2013

Fans chose Irving to be the starting point guard for the Eastern Conference in the 2014 NBA All-Star game.[48] He was the All-Star game MVP, recording 31 points and 14 assists as the East beat the West 163–155.[49]

On February 28, 2014, Irving recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 99–79 win over the Utah Jazz. This was also the Cavaliers' first triple-double since March 16, 2010.[50] On April 5, 2014, Irving recorded a then career-high 44 points in a 96–94 overtime loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.[51][52] Irving averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on the season.

Irving shoots a jump shot vs the Dallas Mavericks in 2014

On July 10, 2014, Irving signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Cavaliers.[53][54] His contract extension came in the wake of LeBron James's return to Cleveland and Kevin Love's trade request from Minnesota, as the trio teamed up to start a new "Big Three" in Cleveland. After a shaky start to the season, in which they fell to a record of 5–7 after a November 22 loss to Toronto, the Cavaliers went on an eight-game winning streak during which Irving averaged 19.3 points per game, including a 37-point game against the New York Knicks on December 4.[55]

After their streak-ending loss on December 11 to Oklahoma City, the Cavaliers went on to win just five more games in December, finishing 2014 at 18–14. All of the new Big Three missed time during December, contributing to team's inconsistency and mediocre play. The Cavaliers began their 2015 schedule on January 2 as they snapped a three-game losing streak with Irving's help. He scored 23 points, and with Love's 27, the Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 91–87.[56] The Cavaliers' next game, against Dallas on January 4, was a season low for Irving, who scored just six points before leaving in the third quarter with lower back tightness; the Cavaliers lost, 109–90.[57] Irving missed the next game, against Philadelphia, before returning to action on January 7 against Houston to tie a then first-half career high of 23 points. He finished the game with a then season-high 38 points, but could not lead the Cavaliers to a win as they lost 105–93, the team's seventh loss in nine games.[58]

Irving against Russell Westbrook in 2015

After a six-game losing streak between January 4 and 13 dropped the Cavaliers to 19–20, Irving and James led them on a 12-game winning streak to bring them back into contention. During the streak, Irving averaged 24.5 points per game, including a then career-high 55 points on January 28 against Portland.[55] His 11 three-pointers in that game set a Cavaliers franchise record while his 55 points were the second-most in Cavaliers history (behind James's 56) and the most scored in a home game, as well as the most points scored in Quicken Loans Arena history. His 28 first-half points also set a new career high for points in a half.[59]

On March 12, 2015, Irving scored a career-high 57 points, including a buzzer-beating three-point shot to send the Cavaliers into overtime, in a 128–125 win over the San Antonio Spurs.[60] It was the most points for a player in a regular-season game against the defending champion since January 14, 1962, when Wilt Chamberlain scored 62 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a loss to the Celtics.[61] The effort also surpassed the Cavaliers' franchise single-game scoring mark of 56 points, set by LeBron James against the Toronto Raptors on March 3, 2005.[62]

Irving helped the Cavaliers win 34 of their final 43 games to finish the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 53–29 overall record.[63] In his first career playoff game on April 19, Irving scored 30 points in a 113–100 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup.[64] He went on to help the Cavaliers reach the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history despite missing two games in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks with a knee injury.[65] After leaving Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors in the overtime period with a knee injury, Irving was ruled out for the rest of the series the following day with a fractured left kneecap that required surgery,[66] sidelining him for three to four months.[67] The team lost the series to the Warriors in six games.

On August 27, 2015, Irving was ruled unlikely to be ready for opening night of the 2015–16 season due to the left kneecap fracture he suffered in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals.[68] He made his season debut on December 20, scoring 12 points in 17 minutes as a starter against the Philadelphia 76ers.[69] On January 6, he scored a season-high 32 points in a 121–115 win over the Washington Wizards.[70] On February 8, he tied his season high of 32 points and tied his career high of 12 assists in a 120–100 win over the Sacramento Kings.[71] Two days later, he topped his season high mark with 35 points in a 120–111 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[72]

Irving during warm-ups prior to Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals in Cleveland

The Cavaliers finished the regular season as the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 57–25 record. In the first round of the playoffs, the Cavaliers faced the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons, and in a Game 1 win on April 17, Irving scored a playoff career-high 31 points.[73] He tied that mark with another 31-point game in Game 4 of the series, helping the Cavaliers sweep the Pistons.[74] The Cavaliers went on to breeze through the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 12–2 record to reach the 2016 NBA Finals, where they faced Golden State for the second straight year. Irving struggled with his shot in his debut Finals game, going 7-of-22 from the field for 26 points, as the Cavaliers were defeated 104–89 in Game 1.[75] Facing a 3–1 deficit following a Game 4 loss, Irving and LeBron James took over in Game 5, each scoring 41 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 112–97 win, forcing a Game 6. Irving and James became the first teammates to each score 40 points in an NBA Finals game.[76] In Game 7, Irving hit a three-pointer with 53 seconds left in the game that propelled the Cavaliers to a 92–89 lead and an eventual 93–89 win. The Cavaliers won the series 4–3 and became the first team to rally from a 3–1 Finals deficit, ending a 52-year major sports championship drought in Cleveland.[77]

On October 25, 2016, after receiving his first championship ring prior to the season opener, Irving scored a game-high 29 points in a 117–88 win over the New York Knicks.[78] Three days later, he scored 26 points and hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 44.3 seconds remaining to lift the Cavaliers to a 94–91 win over the Toronto Raptors.[79] On November 27, he scored 19 of his then season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter of the Cavaliers' 112–108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[80] On December 5, he had a career-high 10th straight game with at least 20 points, finishing with 24 points in a 116–112 win over the Toronto Raptors.[81] On December 21, he had 31 points and a career-high 13 assists in a 113–102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.[82] On January 23, 2017, he scored 35 of his season-high 49 points in the second half of the Cavaliers' 124–122 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans—their fifth loss in seven games.[83] On February 1, he set a new career high with 14 assists in a 125–97 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[84] On March 3, he had a 43-point effort in a 135–130 win over the Atlanta Hawks. In the game, the Cavaliers set the NBA regular-season record with 25 three-pointers.[85] On March 19, he had a 46-point effort in a 125–120 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[86] On April 9, he had a 45-point effort in a 126–125 overtime loss to Atlanta.[87]

In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, Irving scored a playoff career-high 42 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 112–99 win, taking a 3–1 lead in the series.[88] With 24 points in Game 5 of the series, he helped the Cavaliers defeat the Celtics 135–102 to claim their third straight Eastern Conference title and a return trip to the NBA Finals.[89] After going down 3–0 in the 2017 NBA Finals, Irving scored 40 points in Game 4 to help Cleveland extend the series and avoid a sweep with a 137–116 win over the Golden State Warriors.[90] The Cavaliers went on to lose to the Warriors in Game 5, losing the series 4–1.

In July 2017, Irving requested the Cavaliers to trade him, reportedly wanting to be more of the focal point of his own team instead of continuing to play alongside LeBron James.[91][92] The next month, on August 22, he was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić, and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round draft pick (that ultimately turned into Collin Sexton).[93] Eight days later, the Celtics agreed to send the Cavaliers a 2020 second-round draft pick via the Miami Heat to complete the trade, as compensation for Thomas' failed physical.[94]

Irving in his debut for the Celtics against his former team, the Cavaliers

In his debut for the Celtics in their season opener against the Cavaliers on October 17, 2017, Irving had 22 points and 10 assists in a 102–99 loss. He had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer at the horn but missed.[95] On October 30, 2017, he scored 24 points for the third straight game in helping the Celtics defeat the San Antonio Spurs 108–94. It was the Celtics' first win over the Spurs since 2011. Irving's 128 points in his first six games as a Celtic were the most since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen each had 131 in 2007.[96] On November 6, 2017, he scored 35 points in a 110–107 win over the Atlanta Hawks, recording his first 30-point game as a Celtic while scoring more points (245) than any player in his first 11 games with Boston.[97] With the win over Atlanta, the Celtics improved to 9–2 with nine straight wins, setting their longest winning streak in seven years.[97]

On November 20, 2017, he scored 10 of his season-high 47 points in overtime as the Celtics rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 110–102, extending their winning streak to 16 games.[98] The streak ended at 16 games with a loss to the Miami Heat two days later.[99] On January 21, 2018, he scored 40 points in a 103–95 loss to the Orlando Magic. The Celtics had accumulated a 34–10 record by mid-January, but their loss to Orlando was their season-worst third straight defeat.[100] On January 27, 2018, he scored 37 points on 13-for-18 shooting with five 3-pointers in a 109–105 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[101] On February 28, 2018, Irving helped the Celtics improve to 4–0 following the All-Star break with a 134–106 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Irving led Boston with 34 points, making 13 of 18 shots overall and going 4-for-6 from three-point range in the first three quarters.[102] On March 24, 2018, he was ruled out for three to six weeks after undergoing a minimally-invasive procedure to remove a tension wire in his left knee.[103] Less than two weeks later, he was ruled out for the entire postseason, with a recovery time of four to five months,[104] after another procedure was scheduled to remove two screws from his patella that were inserted in 2015 to repair a fracture he suffered during that year's NBA Finals.[105]

Irving guarding former teammate LeBron James in October 2017

In the Celtics' season opener on October 16, Irving played in his first game since March and had seven points and seven assists in a 105–87 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He missed his first nine attempts from the field and did not score until finally connecting on a pair of free throws early in the third quarter.[106] On October 30, after averaging 14 points through the first six games, Irving scored 31 points in a 108–105 win over the Detroit Pistons.[107] On November 8, he scored 18 of his then season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Celtics' 116–109 win over the Phoenix Suns.[108] On November 16, he recorded a season-high 43 points and 11 assists in a 123–116 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors. It marked his first ever game scoring at least 40 points with 10 or more assists, and became the first Celtics player to do so since Antoine Walker in 2001.[109] On December 12, he scored 38 points in a 130–125 overtime win over the Washington Wizards.[110] On December 25, he recorded 40 points and 10 rebounds in a 121–114 overtime win over the 76ers.[111] On December 29, he scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half of the Celtics' 112–103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. His 13 assists matched his season best and was one short of his career high.[112] On January 16, he recorded 27 points and a career-high 18 assists in a 117–108 win over the Raptors.[113]

On January 21, he had a career-high eight steals in a 107–99 win over the Miami Heat.[114] On January 26, he recorded 32 points and 10 assists in a 115–111 loss to the Golden State Warriors. It was his 11th double-double with points and assists, becoming the first Celtic with 11 of that kind of double-double since Larry Bird in 1986–87. It was also Irving's sixth straight game with at least 25 points, matching the longest such streak in his career.[115] On March 14, he recorded his second career triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 126–120 win over the Sacramento Kings, becoming the first Celtics player to record 30-plus points and a triple-double in the same game since Rajon Rondo in February 2012.[116] Two days later, he had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 129–120 win over the Atlanta Hawks.[117] In his first playoff game as a Celtic, Irving became just third player in franchise history (joining Isaiah Thomas in 2015 and Jo Jo White in 1972) to have 20-plus points, five-plus assists and five-plus rebounds in his postseason debut with the team, helping Boston defeat the Indiana Pacers 84–74 in game one of their first-round series.[118] In Game 2 of the series, Irving scored 37 points in a 99–91 win.[119] In Game 1 of the second round, Irving had 26 points and a playoff career high-tying 11 assists in a 112–90 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.[120]

On July 7, 2019, Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency.[121] On October 23, 2019, Irving debuted for the Nets with 50 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a 127–126 overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50 points or more in a team debut.[122] Irving became the seventh player in franchise history to score 50 points or more in a single game, and joins Stephon Marbury (2001) as the only one to also record 15 combined rebounds and assists.[123][124] He also scored 25 of the Nets' 56 points in the first half.[125]

Irving missed 26 games due to a right shoulder injury, and returned on January 12, 2020, scoring 21 points on a 10-of-11 shooting in the 108–86 win over the Atlanta Hawks.[126][127] On January 25, Irving scored 45 points, also recording six rebounds and seven assists, to lead Brooklyn to a 121–111 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons.[128] The next day, the Nets were scheduled to play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, however Irving left the arena prior to tip-off, upon learning of the death of Kobe Bryant.[129] On January 31, Irving scored a season-high 54 points on 19-of-23 shooting in a 133–118 win over the Chicago Bulls.[130] On February 20, it was announced that Irving would undergo season-ending surgery on his injured shoulder.[131][132]

In the Nets' season opener on December 22, Irving had 25 points, four assists, and four rebounds in a 125–99 win over the Golden State Warriors.[133] On December 25, Irving had 37 points and eight assists in a 123–95 win over his former team, the Boston Celtics.[134] On February 18, 2021, Irving was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, his seventh selection.[135] On May 6, Irving had a season-high 45 points in a 113–109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[136] With the conclusion of the regular season, Irving became the ninth player in NBA history to join the 50–40–90 club, representing the shooting percentages from the field (.506), the three-point line (.402), and the free throw line (.922). Irving also became only the fourth player to average over 25.0 points, while making the 50–40–90 club, the others being Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Larry Bird.[137]

Irving sprained his right ankle after landing on Giannis Antetokounmpo's foot during Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, and missed Game 5.[138] The Nets lost the series in seven games.[139]

Irving with the Nets in 2022

On October 12, 2021, the Nets' general manager Sean Marks announced that Irving would be ineligible to play or practice with the team, due to the New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandate, until Irving is vaccinated.[140][141] Despite remaining unvaccinated, on December 17, following a large number of players lost to injuries and health and safety protocols, as well as an inordinate minutes load on Kevin Durant and James Harden, the Nets announced that Irving would return to the team as a part-time player for games outside of the New York area and Toronto.[142] On January 5, 2022, Irving made his season debut, recording 22 points, three rebounds and four assists, on 9-of-17 shooting in 31 minutes in a 129–121 victory over the Indiana Pacers.[143]

On February 26, Irving scored a then season-high 38 points with five rebounds, five assists and two steals in a 126–123 win over the reigning champions Milwaukee Bucks.[144] In February 2022, New York City mayor Eric Adams announced that the city would be lifting its vaccine requirement for indoor activities on March 7.[145] However, Irving remained subject to a different workplace vaccine mandate that remained in place.[146] In a public statement, Adams said that making a specific exemption for Irving would "send the wrong message" to other people employed in the city.[147]

On March 8, Irving scored a then season-high 50 points on 15-of-19 shooting from the field and delivered six assists in a 132–121 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He became only the second guard in NBA history (after Michael Jordan) who would have multiple 50-point games while shooting 75 percent from the floor.[148] On March 15, Irving scored 41 of his career-high and Nets franchise-record 60 points in the first half, grabbed six rebounds, delivered four assists along with 4 steals on 20-of-31 shooting from the field, including eight three-pointers, in a 150–108 win against the Orlando Magic.[149] On March 23, Mayor Adams announced that the city would be relaxing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, allowing Irving to play at the Barclays Center.[150] On March 27, Irving made his home debut against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 16 points in 41 minutes, in a 119–110 loss.[151]

On April 12, Irving, in his first play-in appearance, scored 34 points and dished out 12 assists in an 115–108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to secure the 7th spot for the playoffs.[152] In Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Irving scored a game-high 39 points along with five rebounds, six assists, and 4 steals in an 115–114 loss against the Boston Celtics.[153] Irving was fined $50,000 on April 19 for middle finger gestures and profane language to fans in Boston during Game 1 on April 17.[154] Brooklyn would go on to lose to Boston in four games, and Irving was swept for the first time in his career.[155]

Following the end of the season, there was speculation that Irving would decline his player option and pursue a sign-and-trade deal with another team.[156] However, Irving ultimately opted into his $37 million player option, returning to the Nets for the 2022–23 NBA season.[157] On November 3, 2022, the Nets suspended Irving for at least five NBA games due to his failure to "unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs" and said that he is "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."[158]

In November 2016, Irving tweeted his support for the water protectors at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation who were demonstrating against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Protesters said the pipeline, which crosses under the river and across the region's aquifer, violates treaty law and sacred burial grounds on the land at Standing Rock; there is urgent concern that the crude oil passing through the pipeline threatens the safety of the drinking water supply of not only the Standing Rock community, but that of many surrounding communities, both Native and non-Native.[189]

He has donated to various social causes through his K.A.I. Family Foundation.[190] In 2020, he donated a home to the family of George Floyd.[191] Irving paid off student debt for students from Lincoln University.[192] Irving committed $1.5 million to help pay WNBA players who opted out of playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.[193] Irving donated over $300,000 to food banks and with City Harvest on his birthday.[194] He donated 17 pallets of food to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.[195]

On July 29, 2021, Irving built a solar water center in Pakistan with Paani Project through his K.A.I. Family Foundation.[196][197]

Irving made his first tweet espousing Black Hebrew Israelite doctrine in March 2021.[212] Black Hebrews espouse the ideology that Black people are the real Jews, wherein antisemitism is common.[212] On October 27, 2022, Irving tweeted a link to an Amazon listing page for Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, a 2018 film based on a book of the same name, which promotes Black Hebrew Israelite ideology.[212][213] The film includes denials that the Holocaust occurred, quotes attributed to Adolf Hitler and Henry Ford, claims that Jewish people worship Satan, and accusations that Jews controlled the Atlantic slave trade and currently control the media.[214][215] In a tweet on October 28, 2022, Nets owner Joseph Tsai said he was "disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation," and expressed his intent to address the issue further with Irving.[216][217]

On October 29, 2022, Irving tweeted that deeming him antisemitic was "not justified", and that he intended to "learn from all walks of life and religions."[218] The same day, during a postgame press availability at Barclays Center, Irving denied having any religious biases and defended the tweet, telling reporters that "[h]istory is not supposed to be hidden from anybody" and stating, "I'm not going to stand down on anything I believe in. I'm only going to get stronger because I'm not alone. I have a whole army around me."[219] Irving deleted the tweet on or around October 30.[220]

On October 31, 2022, during a game between the Nets and the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center, several attendees sitting courtside wore shirts bearing the phrase "Fight Antisemitism", an apparent reference to Irving's tweet.[221] On November 2, 2022, Irving and the Nets jointly announced they would each donate US$500,000 to organizations combating religious hatred, and would work with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to create programming related to opposing antisemitism.[222] Though he did not apologize for promoting the film,[223] Irving was quoted as saying that he opposes "all forms of hatred and oppression and stand[s] strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day"; he added that he "[took] responsibility" for the impact of his tweet on the Jewish community.[224] In a subsequent statement of his own, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is Jewish,[225] criticized Irving for "not offer[ing] an unqualified apology" or expressly denouncing the film's content, and said he would meet with Irving "in the next week to discuss this situation."[226]

During a press availability on November 3, 2022, Irving admitted that some of the film's content was "unfortunate" and untrue, but did not apologize for promoting the film, saying he was "not the one who made the documentary". Irving suggested that focus on his promotion of the film was unfairly diverting attention away from African-American history, claiming at one point that "300 million of [his] ancestors are buried in America"; he added that he would be able to debunk any criticism leveled at him because of his propensity for "study[ing]", and that he "know[s] the Oxford dictionary."[227] Asked directly if he held antisemitic beliefs, Irving did not give a yes-or-no response, saying only, "I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from."[228][229] At 7:44 PM EDT that night, the Nets announced that they had suspended Irving without pay for at least five games, due to his "failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so" and "conduct detrimental to the team."[230][231][232][233][234]

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted that Irving's suspension was "well-deserved", and said the ADL would reject Irving's previously announced donation.[235] Four hours after the Nets' initial announcement of his suspension, Irving finally issued an apology via Instagram, writing in part, "To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize...I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate. I am learning from this unfortunate event and hope we can find understanding between us all."[236][237] Following Irving's apology, Nets General Manager Sean Marks said Irving would have to meet with Jewish leaders and with the team before he can return to play.[238]