Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka recently spoke very highly of Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. After his team’s 107-125 loss to Irving’s Mavericks on Sunday, Udoka called the one-time NBA champion “the best one-on-one player I’ve ever seen“:
“I would echo that statement, that he’s the best one-on-one player I’ve ever seen or coached or been around,” Udoka said. “And it’s not a one-off. It’s not one game or every other game. It’s an every night thing. It’s an every practice thing. He does something that wows you.”
“We were all talking about the best one-on-one players,” Udoka continued. “I think without hesitation everybody said it was Kyrie. Like I said, I saw it on a day to day basis. It still makes you shake your head, some of the things.”
In the game, Irving recorded 24 points while shooting 9-for-19 shooting from the field. Additionally, he shot 4-for-9 from the three-point line. On the season, the Duke alum is averaging 25.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
Udoka was an assistant coach for Irving with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2020-21 season.
“He’s the best one-on-one player I’ve ever seen or coached or been around.”
– Ime Udoka on Kyrie Irving
(Via https://t.co/e1B9GimWhV) pic.twitter.com/qX1u2tu8mA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 1, 2024
Houston Rockets Coach Lauds Former NBA Champion
Ime Udoka Is Not the Only One to Praise Kyrie Irving
Since entering the league in 2011, Irving has been considered one of the most exciting and electrifying players in the NBA. 13 years later, Irving’s game is still being appreciated by fans, coaches, and players. Recently, teammate and MVP candidate Luka Doncic called Irving “the Batman” of their duo:
“He’s [Kyrie] the Batman, I’m the Robin,” Doncic said in the post-game interview. “Nah, just amazing, man. Every guy on our team is amazing. He’s just a great person, we get along so well. The chemistry is really good right now.”
Furthermore, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green spoke highly of Irving in a recent podcast episode, “Kyrie Irving is the scorer that everyone thinks of Kevin Durant.” Additionally, after Irving’s spectacular game-winning shot against the Denver Nuggets last month, ESPN’s Jay Williams called Irving “the most skilled player in the history of basketball“:
“The most skilled player in the history of basketball,” Williams vehemently said. “Come at me [and] say whatever the hell you want, there is no player in the game of basketball as skilled [as Irving].”
Perhaps most telling, however, is Mark Cuban’s comments on the Dallas Mavericks guard. The current minority owner of the team, Cuban recently expressed his admiration for how Irving is off the court:
“There’s certain people, when you hug them, you feel who they are. That’s Kyrie Irving.”
“There’s certain people, when you hug them, you feel who they are. That’s Kyrie Irving”
—@mcuban takes @Money23Green through trading for @KyrieIrving 💯 pic.twitter.com/sb3YGwO9wY
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) April 1, 2024
The Last Word
At just 32 years old, Irving will likely remain in the NBA for the next several years. Even so, his impact on the court in his career so far has been remarkable. Irving is certainly one of the craftiest and most talented players the court has seen in league history. It will be interesting to see how the rest of his career plays out.
