Kyrie Irving’s athleticism has never been questioned, and at age 31, the Dallas Mavericks guard still showcases the same elite skillset and playmaking ability he’s had throughout his career.
But on Tuesday, after Dallas picked up a 113–107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, Irving was asked about a dunk he had, and the eight-time NBA All-Star lit up about it. After stating that he believed it was his third dunk of the season, a mark Irving labeled as his career-high, he hilariously compared himself to Benjamin Button.
“Am I at a career high this year? I think I have three dunks—I’m three dunks in—I think that’s my career-high at this point,” Irving said, via Dallas Basketball’s Grant Afseth. “Did you watch the movie Benjamin Button? What if I’m getting more athletic in my 30s? That would be a heck of a thing, wouldn’t it?”
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Irving then mentioned that it had taken a “few years to get healthy” before reaching this point.
Unfortunately for those hoping to see Irving put the newest weapon in his scoring arsenal on display even more, he joked to reporters that he won’t be participating in the NBA dunk contest.
Kyrie Irving on his third dunk this season: "Did you watch the movie Benjamin Button? What if I'm getting more athletic in my 30s? That would be a heck of a thing, wouldn't it? With no screws in my knee, with no almost bad ankle. It took me a few years to get healthy."
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) March 20, 2024
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Irving, who’s made it clear he’s happy playing as the co-star alongside Luka Dončić, has put together an impressive all-around season statistically. He averages 25.4 points, 5.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49.3% from the field and 40.9% from three-point range.
Tuesday’s game against San Antonio was a prime example of Irving stepping up to fill whatever need the Mavericks have on a given night. With Dončić struggling to get his shot to fall, shooting 6 of 27 from the field, Irving led the team in scoring with 28 points on 13 of 21 shooting while pulling down seven rebounds in the victory.
