Kyrie Irving is widely regarded as one of the best ball-handlers and dribblers in NBA history and has made a significant impact on every team he has played for. He has also shared the court with some of the league’s biggest stars, including LeBron James and Luka Doncic—but neither of them tops his list.
Irving played alongside LeBron during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. When James returned to Cleveland from Miami, Irving was already the team’s star, having been drafted first overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Together, the duo reached three consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2017, facing the Golden State Warriors each time. They secured just one championship in 2016, famously coming back from a 3-1 deficit—a first in NBA Finals history.
Six years after leaving Cleveland, and following stints with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, Irving joined the Dallas Mavericks to team up with Luka Doncic. They quickly showed their chemistry, becoming the first players in franchise history to each score 40 points in the same game during a 133–126 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kyrie Irving #11 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrate after scoring during the Emirates NBA Cup. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
In their first full season together, Irving and Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. However, they fell short against the Boston Celtics, who captured the championship in a 4-1 series win.
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Despite his most successful moments coming in Cleveland and Dallas—winning a championship with the Cavaliers and reaching the Finals with the Mavericks—Irving named Kevin Durant, his teammate during his time with the Brooklyn Nets, as the best teammate of his career.
During a livestream on his channel, fans asked Irving who he considered his top teammate. The former champion didn’t hesitate. “I will say this the 7-eleven duo of me and KD will never be topped in terms of just being on a court with somebody that special, right? So let me get that disclaimer out. All right, let me get that disclaimer,” Irving said. “I’ve played with a lot of great players, but playing with KD, it was OD. All right, he’s one of the best of all time. Obviously, we all have our strengths and weaknesses”.
Kevin Durant #7 talks with Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets after the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
In 2019, the Nets announced that Irving and Durant would form a superstar duo in Brooklyn. Their first season together came in 2020, after Durant missed the previous year recovering from an Achilles tendon injury. The plan had been to pair them with James Harden, forming a powerful trio expected to compete for the championship.
However, the project fell far short of expectations. Plagued by injuries, controversies, and team issues, the Durant-Irving-Harden era in Brooklyn is remembered as one of the NBA’s most disappointing runs.
