The Uncle Drew Chronicles

Have you ever seen the live version of Ricky Bobby and Cals shake n bake? If you haven’t, just watch Kyrie Irving take on one of his defenders with a little shake and leave the defenders ankles in the crossover oven to bake. Safe to say that Kyrie can leave his opponents a little salty after hitting them repeatedly with pull up threes after taking their ankles out for an ice skate date. Is that what makes him special? Or is it the fact that he’s one of the humblest dudes in the league when it comes to on court antics and post-game interviews? Is it a combination? Or is there another trait? If you picked the combination option, you wouldn’t be wrong but there is one more trait to Irving’s game that makes him one of the most lethal players in the NBA.

I’ve just written about Derrick Rose, and the impact he could have in the league next year if he lands in the ideal situation but now it’s time to turn it up a notch. I’ll explain why I think Irving is on a level of his own at the moment and why he has a long future ahead of him in Cleveland. There is only one man that rules the land and that’s the King, LeBron James, but to defend the land he need his trusty confidants, Kevin Love, and the rest of the squad but where does Kyrie land in this equation? To put it simply and to give it a little twist, he’s the Fresh Prince, and he will rule the realm one day.

Now when you think of Irving, you know he’s quick and able to get you buckets in a hurry but what is the most important thing that is brought to the table that he couldn’t deliver before the LeBron era? Leadership. Before LeBron was brought back to Ohio, Kyrie was given the reins right out of the draft but he wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility, uncle Ben never gave him the speech that he needed and it was a recipe for disaster. Don’t get it twisted, his individual performance on the court was stellar during the first few years but it just wasn’t enough to get the Cavs on a mentionable level. Those years were important and valuable to him, he could gain the experience of trying to lead an underdeveloped team and with time he turned into a self-sufficient scorer which set him up for success. Now, with the arrival of LeBron he could take a step back and appreciate greatness and leadership that James brings to the kitchen table which in turn, in my opinion, made Irving into a better player because he was able to relieve the pressure of his shoulders and play more freely. In fact, there is nothing more lethal than a player who feels like they’re in their own domain when stepping out on the court and that’s how it looks when he’s out there, free like a bird. LeBron’s game is eventually going to decline, and when that happens, Irving will be ready this time for the added responsibility and the opportunity to take over the land.