'Generational'... Kyrie Irving shows love to former first-overall pick

Kyrie Irving is described as a uniquely talented NBA player, unmatched in his combination of ball-handling, shooting, and finishing skills, especially notable given his height of 6'2". His ability to sustain a high level of production for over a decade is considered rare for smaller point guards. This exceptional skill set led to him being selected first overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, marking the second consecutive year a point guard was taken with the top pick, following John Wall in 2010.

During a recent stream while recovering from ACL surgery, Irving praised John Wall, acknowledging Wall's role in setting a precedent as a #1 pick point guard. Irving emphasized the significance of their back-to-back selections, calling it "generational" and expressing doubt that two point guards would ever again be drafted first overall consecutively in the NBA.

Since Irving and Wall, only three other point guards have been drafted first overall: Ben Simmons (2016), Markelle Fultz (2017), and Cade Cunningham (2021). While Cunningham's size is noted as fitting for a top pick, the consecutive selections of Simmons and Fultz are highlighted as potentially the last occurrence of back-to-back point guards going first for a long time.