Kyrie Irving makes honest Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, LeBron James statement

NBA star Kyrie Irving, a nine-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA player renowned for influencing a generation, recently discussed his basketball inspirations during a Twitch stream. He emphasized learning from contemporaries he personally played with, listing numerous co-stars including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Luka Dončić, and Klay Thompson.

Irving specifically highlighted LeBron James and Kevin Durant as inspirations pushing him to refine his craft, while naming Kobe Bryant as his primary inspiration overall. He also mentioned Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Tim Duncan, Reggie Miller, and Hakeem Olajuwon as significant influences. Irving expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to play alongside such greats, stating he never took it for granted and wished he could have won championships with all of them.

Speaking particularly about his time with Kevin Durant on the Brooklyn Nets, Irving declared their on-court duo "will never be topped in terms of being on the court with somebody that special," calling Durant "one of the best of all time."

The article also briefly notes Irving's key career achievements: helping LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers win the 2016 NBA title after a historic 3-1 Finals comeback, and leading the Dallas Mavericks alongside Luka Dončić to the 2024 NBA Finals. Irving is currently recovering from an ACL injury and is expected to return to play for the Mavericks in late January or early February.