One of the most electrifying players in the modern NBA generation is Kyrie Irving, star of Dallas Mavericks. Despite his age, injuries have been a constant headache for the guard, fueling speculation that another setback could make his retirement from the league inevitable.
Last month, Irving made headlines by claiming that billionaire Bill Gates owns the majority of land and water in the United States, a statement quickly debunked online. This time, however, Irving is focused solely on his passion for agriculture and how he envisions life after basketball.
“I’m building towards becoming one of the biggest farmers ever. Like, I’m just going to put it out there. I wanna be able to supply food and groceries to the world in the best I can and create small, holistic wellness villages where people can retire… women can give birth safely. Families can grow and build. I’m more into agriculture than I am into other things, too,” Irving said during a recent Twitch stream.
This revelation was unexpected but reveals a more human side of the Mavericks star. The response was overwhelmingly positive, much more than the reception to some of his previous controversial takes on social and scientific issues, such as questioning the shape of the Earth.
Everyone is seeing Irving’s better side now
Typically, fans and analysts rarely see the real personality of professional athletes, often assuming they are egocentric, fame-driven, or self-absorbed. Irving, however, has demonstrated a grounded and thoughtful side, at least in this aspect of his life.
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Former NBA players Kendrick Perkins and Channing Frye praised Irving for speaking openly and showing younger players that life as a professional athlete is about more than flashy cars, big money, and luxury homes.
“He has been doing these streams on Twitch and expressing his feelings in a way that comes from maturity, age, the ups and downs of life, having more kids, getting married, doing all these things where now he’s saying it like not like ‘Oh I’m doing this because I’m better than you guys or I have the money to do this, I’m doing this because it makes me happy.’ Like it’s more fulfilling, it’s the other half of the glass,” Frye said during an episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast.
What’s next for Kyrie?
Irving is currently rehabbing from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear he suffered in May. The injury kept him out of the playoffs and raised serious doubts about his availability for the next NBA season.
The nine-time All-Star revealed that his recovery has been progressing steadily and that he could return to the Mavericks lineup sooner than initially expected.
