{"id":68730,"date":"2024-03-18T01:06:42","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T05:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=68730"},"modified":"2024-03-18T01:06:42","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T05:06:42","slug":"nba-damian-lillard-kyrie-irving-most-skilled-ever-game-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/18\/nba-damian-lillard-kyrie-irving-most-skilled-ever-game-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Great Names Mavs Guard \u2018Most Skilled\u2019 After Game-Winner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dallas Mavericks star guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/i\/irvinky01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyrie Irving<\/a> has made a fair share of big-time shots.<\/p>\n<p>Buzzer-beaters. Game-enders. Game-winners. Dagger 3-pointers over Golden State Warriors superstar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/fZ8yCJgsF_4?si=JCLPT3GcOqMRbHqT\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2016 NBA Finals<\/a>. Whenever a team needs Irving to save them, he comes out of the phone booth cape in hand.<\/p>\n<h2>Damian Lillard Has Greatest Praise for Kyrie Irving After Game-Winner<\/h2>\n<p>On Sunday, as the Mavs faced off against the Denver Nuggets, Irving had what may have been his most improbable moment in the clutch.<\/p>\n<p>Receiving an inbounds pass from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/doncilu01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luka Doncic<\/a> with 2.8 seconds remaining on the clock, Irving attempted to dribble around Nuggets mainspring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jokicni01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nikola Jokic<\/a> and get to the rim. However, taking a wide route to elude Jokic and his 7-foot-3 wingspan, he was running out of time. With 1.0 second remaining, he was still at the free-throw line.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">KYRIE IRVING GAME WINNER MY GOODNESS. \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FfczbtMEmU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/FfczbtMEmU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheHoopCentral\/status\/1769484268584177795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 17, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Irving shot the ball anyway. Releasing a left-handed floater over the outstretched arms of Jokic, the 8-time All-Star nailed his attempt, the ball falling through the hoop cleanly. His teammates \u2014including Doncic \u2014were in disbelief, awe, or both. While they piled on Irving at center court, basketball fans took to social media to proclaim his greatness.<\/p>\n<p>Even Milwaukee Bucks star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lillada01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Damian Lillard<\/a> had to get in on the conversation, calling his contemporary \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Dame_Lillard\/status\/1769484631651262863?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the most skilled [player] ever<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Is Irving the Most Skilled Ever?<\/h3>\n<p>In the sports world, it\u2019s not uncommon to use superlatives to drive home a point.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe it\u2019s a matter of fact. Perhaps it\u2019s a hot take or tool for emphasis. At this point, it may just be part of the game\u2019s lexicon. Nonetheless, players are often called the \u2018greatest to ever\u2019 do this or the \u2018best to ever do that\u2019 by sports pundits. Whether past, present, or future, players even get caught up in viewing themselves or others through a grandiose lens.<\/p>\n<p>However, when Lillard calls Irving the \u2018most skilled ever\u2019 just a month after Hall of Fame guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/i\/iversal01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Allen Iverson<\/a> called Irving the \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/02\/22\/nba-icon-knights-kyrie-irving-greatest-ball-handler-ever\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">greatest ball-handler ever<\/a>,\u2019 it\u2019s worth investigating how true that statement is.<\/p>\n<p>In looking at Irving\u2019s game, his craftiness is only matched by his shooting touch. Despite not being an above-average athlete relative to his peers, Irving gets to the rim at will thanks to his exceptional ball-handling ability.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kyrie Irving NASTY Handles &amp; Crossovers \ud83d\udd25\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L6SmBnK1h2A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Able to consistently create separation off-the-dribble using a seemingly unlimited number of crossover combinations, it\u2019s almost unfair that Irving has such a deft shooting touch. Whether it\u2019s him finishing at the rim at a wide variety of angles, releasing jumpers multiple bases, or simply dotting an opponent\u2019s eye from beyond the arc, Irving often finishes what he started.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s a walking highlight not just because his game is aesthetically pleasing but because it\u2019s highly effective. All of which makes him all the more entertaining.<\/p>\n<h3>Kyrie Before Kyrie<\/h3>\n<p>As for whether there\u2019s been a more skilled player?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s already clear there\u2019s no better ball-handler. When considering his touch from every spot on the floor and the variety within his shot profile, there may not be a better scorer either. Also not to be forgotten is Irving\u2019s growth as a facilitator. Always capable of making every pass there is, he\u2019s now committed to a sometimes undervalued aspect of being a point guard.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf career highlight\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jUJIuhegQ_4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Aside from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/abdulma02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf<\/a>, the No. 3 pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, it\u2019s difficult to think of a player with all the skills that Irving possesses though.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at both players, there are several similarities. Like Irving, Abdul-Rauf was an innovator with unparalleled skill on the hardwood. Off the court, Abdul-Rauf was often criticized for his worldview; Irving is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/06\/20\/why-nike-cut-ties-with-kyrie-and-not-ja-morant\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">no stranger to that<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Still, even Abdul-Rauf didn\u2019t quite have the productivity of Irving. Even averaging 18.0 points and 4.7 assists per game in his prime on .454-.370-.930 shooting splits. Nor did he start or end his career with as much success. That\u2019s also the case for players like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/marbust01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephon Marbury<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hardaan01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Penny Hardaway<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/crawfja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jamal Crawford<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Giving Him His Flowers<\/h3>\n<p>Where Irving ranks all-time remains to be seen.<\/p>\n<p>He was already snubbed from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/nba-75th-anniversary-team-announced\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NBA\u2019s 75th Anniversary Team<\/a>. Nonetheless, when he steps on the court, basketball fans are witnessing one of the greatest shows on earth. Whether they appreciate it or not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving has made a fair share of big-time shots. Buzzer-beaters. Game-enders. Game-winners. Dagger 3-pointers over Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry in the 2016 NBA Finals. Whenever a team needs Irving to save them, he comes out of the phone booth cape in hand. Damian Lillard Has Greatest Praise for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":68731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,9,30,15,3,23],"tags":[187,406,2095],"class_list":["post-68730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-cavaliers","category-mavericks","category-bucks","category-news","category-trailblazers","tag-damian-lillard","tag-kyrie-irving","tag-mahmoud-abdul-rauf"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}