This is often how it happens in the NBA, and the examples of the Shaq-Kobe or LeBron-Irving duos have proven it. On one side, a superstar who has proven himself, and on the other, a young star who wants his share of the spotlight and prove that he can be a “franchise player”. Lieutenant of LeBron James in Cleveland, Kyrie Irving had joined Boston to establish himself as leader, but there, he came across two impatient young people, Jaylen Brown And Jayson Tatum. The cohabitation will be brief, but Irving is proud to have participated in the development of two confirmed All-Stars. Especially since they became his “brothers”.
“The most important thing I learned in Boston is to be able to manage not only my emotions, but also what happens on a daily basis as a leader of a team or one of the leaders, with young people around you who have their own goals” remembers the Dallas leader. “ You have to learn to prioritize the bigger picture. These guys were already very talented – JT and JB. But just like me, they were learning to win, they were learning to approach the game selflessly every day. This is what contributed to our closeness and our relationship”.
Sharing and transmission
Clearly, from an early age, you must find the best compromise between your progress and your personal ambitions, and the collective objective. What the Celtics of the late 2010s failed to do.
“I took them under my wing in a very different way and they allowed me to do that while becoming who they are today”he continues. “I told them from the first day, when I met them, that I wanted them to become better than me, and to do that, we had to give them the secrets of the game. We also have to give them mental secrets to help them become better players. »
For Irving, the notion of sharing and transmission is essential when you are a leader, or want to be. “When I was there, I tried to give as much advice as possible. Then then when I went to Brooklyn and finally to Dallas. I simply managed to create a brother-to-brother relationship, making them understand that I was behind them no matter what. »
The right compromise between competition and friendship
A relationship that goes beyond the field since Kyrie Irving assures that his relationships with his former teammates have even become family. And he and the Brown-Tatum tandem don't need to flaunt it in front of everyone.
“I think the other thing is that real-life circumstances have brought us together and, again, no one knows. That's more important than trying to show the media and everyone and the fans that, 'Hey, we're still close and we're still brothers.' he concludes. “There’s going to be adversity on the field, and it’s going to be very competitive. But off the court, our families know each other, and that's the type of relationship I always wanted to have outside of basketball. That is, being able to find the right balance between competing on the field, but also treating them like my brothers and being there for them, whatever their needs. »
