July 13th 2023.
Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is defending Kyrie Irving, one of the best point guards in the NBA. According to The Dallas Morning News, Cuban recently discussed Irving's free-agent contract and why he loves basketball during an interview with SiriusXM NBA radio.
When asked if he was concerned that Irving wouldn't stay past the season, Cuban said, "Kyrie just loves basketball and loves going to games, so no, I wasn't concerned about that. But we traded for him because we wanted him to be a long-term piece, you know? And I think Kyrie's just misunderstood. Everybody sees all the noise and everything around him, but when you actually talk to him, I like him."
Cuban was further questioned about Irving's previous actions with other teams, and if he anticipated the same outcome in Dallas. Cuban replied, "You know, it's interesting because when I would watch Kyrie before he came to the Mavs, I didn't pay enough attention to his relationship with other players. And then, when he came to us after the trade, it was inevitable. After every game, there were multiple players walking up and hugging him. Not just giving him, you know, high fives, but like a real, honest-to-goodness, 'I like you,' hug. And when you talk to players around them, they would say the same thing. And when you talk to our players after he got there, [they] say the same thing, we love the guy. You know?"
Cuban's comments suggest that perhaps Irving has matured and his relationships with other teams were not indicative of the type of person he is. Cuban and other Mavericks personnel wanted to get to know Irving and his personality before making a long-term commitment. As a result, Irving recently re-signed with the Mavericks for $126 million over three years.
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