The Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving, even knowing that he could walk away in a couple of months.
That was a risk worth taking because of his talents, but one that may go back to haunt them for years to come, even if he decides to stay.
As great a player as he is, Irving has given his fans and his teams more problems than satisfaction over the years, and it’s been seven years since he last played in the NBA Finals.
That’s why ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith believes no team should trust him with a long-term contract and sign him to one-year deals exclusively.
Smith explained that Kyrie is a sensational player who could be worth up to $50 million a season, yet he should never get more than one year at a time:
“Every single d**n thing I said about Kyrie Irving, I meant it. He’s a superstar basketball player. He’s a sensational talent. He is box office. He is worth $50 million a year. Easy! I would just pay him one year at a time,” Smith said on his podcast. “I ain’t giving that brother no long-term deal ’cause I can’t trust him. I’m not doing that, and it ain’t because he’s some bad guy. Kyrie is not a malicious person. He doesn’t mean to hurt and to harm people. He just believes he’s more knowledgable than everybody else.”
Kyrie Irving is a guy who believes it is a privilege for you, to watch him play, rather than it being a privilege, he possesses to have the skills that he has to put on display for us to watch.
Watch more on this topic in today's episode – the link is in the bio. pic.twitter.com/dQRi7KjrtH
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 6, 2023
That’s right on cue.
Irving has the greatest handles this game has ever seen.
His layup package is unlimited, and he can put up numbers like the greatest scorers in basketball history.
But what is that good for when you actually need him?
What do you do with that when he throws his teammates or the coach under the bus?
And what to do when he bails on you mid-season?
Irving’s ego has been his biggest enemy for way too long now, and it’s become evident that basketball isn’t his no. 1 priority anymore, which is fine.
But he cannot have it all, and it’s time he realizes that.
He can either earn those dozen millions one year at a time and prove he’s committed, or he can make peace with the fact that he cannot be trusted and settled for whatever a team is willing to give him.
You reap what you sow.
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