Mavs star Kyrie Irving makes big admission about Luka Doncic: 'Does he ever annoy me? Yeah'

Without two of the leading candidates for the 2024 NBA MVP award—Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic—the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets clashed on Tuesday night. The Nuggets dominated with a decisive 118-99 victory, handing the Mavericks their second consecutive loss. Following the game, Kyrie Irving addressed the media, sharing insights about Doncic.

As the Slovenian star continues to recover from his injury, the Mavericks are striving to stay afloat with a 20-18 record in the NBA regular season. Irving has stepped up as a leader in Doncic’s absence, but his recent performances have fallen short of the impact head coach Jason Kidd might have hoped for.

Despite the challenges facing the Mavericks, Irving took a lighter approach when responding to a question from a Slovenian reporter about his relationship with Doncic. “Does he ever annoy me? Yeah, people get annoying. He’s not the only person that annoys me—I annoy him too,” Irving said with a smile.

Irving also shed light on the bond he shares with Doncic off the court. “We spend a lot of time off the court just enjoying each other’s presence. Our families are getting to know each other. We annoy each other when the wine starts flowing—telling jokes, and he loves bringing up how he beat me when I was in Brooklyn,” Irving added.

Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic 77 and Kyrie Irving 11 watch from the bench during an NBA.

Irving addresses whether Doncic’s “annoying” behavior bothers him

Kyrie Irving has clarified his feelings about Doncic’s sometimes playful but “annoying” behavior, emphasizing that it doesn’t upset him. While highlighting the strong bond between their families, Irving made it clear that their friendship is paramount and unaffected by such interactions.

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“Annoying is part of friendship and part of brotherhood, so I’m not mad at it,” Irving stated. The camaraderie between the Mavericks’ stars could prove crucial as the team approaches the midpoint of the regular season, with plenty of pivotal games still ahead.

Irving opens up about managing a back injury

Irving’s health has been a key storyline this season, particularly after his performance against the Nuggets in their most recent matchup. Despite pushing through discomfort, he spoke candidly about the challenges of dealing with a back injury and how he’s navigating the recovery process.

“I couldn’t even put on my socks standing up. I had to sit down every single time. I couldn’t really meditate,” Irving revealed. “I was getting a lot of uncomfortable feelings down in my hamstring and also just down my leg. It’s not to the point where it’s bad enough for surgery. I’m most likely going to play.”