The Brooklyn Nets signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in an attempt to become the Eastern Conference's dominant force. But, as great as Durant has been, Kyrie had been mostly inconsistent or not available at all.
Irving's off-court distractions have taken a toll on his ability to make a positive impact on the team. He was hurt during their playoff run a couple of seasons ago, and was barely available during the COVID-shortened campaign.
But now, it seems like Uncle Drew is finally living up to the expectations, averaging north of 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 dimes per game. When asked about his success, he believes it's all about controlling his emotions.
NBA News: Kyrie Irving Credits Emotional Control And Responsibility For His Great Season
"Basketball is a very simple art form, so if I don’t bring all my extra distractions or anything that I’m going through mentally into the game, then I feel like we have a great chance of winning every game," Irving said. "That’s something I’ve taken responsibility for on my own end, just to positively reinforce that we can win games no matter what’s going on.
"Just being mentally prepared, using a lot of sessions in the summer of challenging myself to be ready for these moments where I don’t have to be swayed emotionally, I’m in control of my emotions, in control of my thoughts," Kyrie added.
Irving has been tied with multiple off-court controversies, so it's nice to see that he's finally putting basketball ahead of everything else, as he's one of the most talented players in this league's history.
Also, his character and impact will be put to the test again shortly, as there's a strong chance that Kevin Durant will miss some time after suffering a knee injury. So, he better be in control of his emotions, as he claims.
