Kyrie Irving Knows The Mavs Are Luka’s Team, Says Mark Cuban

The Mavericks made a bold move this offseason when they re-signed Kyrie Irving. But according to the team’s owner, the moody superstar knows his role on the team and his place alongside Luka Dončić, and will be an asset going forward.

Kyrie Irving Knows His Role Says Mavs Owner Mark Cuban

“People talk about [Kyrie Irving] and Luka [Doncic] fitting together. Ky knows this is Luka’s team… He’s not a 19-year-old Ky anymore, he’s not a 25-year-old Ky anymore, he’s a mature 31-year-old Ky and he wants to win.”

—Mark Cuban

(via @PatBevPod)pic.twitter.com/IwkqRQjO35

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 31, 2023

Mark Cuban recently appeared on Patrick Beverley’s podcast, and was asked questions on a handful of different topics. One of them pertained to the Irving situation, and how Cuban approached the contract negotiations over the summer. His sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, and had the following to say about why the team brought the point guard back:

(Kyrie) is a super smart guy, and he knows this is Luka’s team. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, it is Luka’s team. And so, he can play 2. Luka is that good.

It is a bold approach for a player who is known to be unhappy at every stop, and often leaves a mess for franchises in his wake. Kyrie Irving has forced himself out of Cleveland, Boston, and Brooklyn, and is seen as instable no matter how talented a commodity.

But Cuban and the Mavericks apparently believe that they can make him happy, but are willing to tell him that he will play second fiddle to Luka Dončić.

Dallas Is Counting On A More Mature Irving

“With [Kyrie Irving], it’s not his handle though. It’s Ky’s footwork with his handle… He got the best emergency brakes in the league.”

Patrick Beverley on Kyrie having the “best handles of all time” 😅

(via @PatBevPod)pic.twitter.com/RrujrnYT1z

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 29, 2023

Cuban had more to say:

People talk about Ky and Luka fitting together. Ky knows it’s Luka’s team. Ky knows how Luka plays…He’s not a 19-year-old Ky anymore. He’s not a 25-year-old Ky anymore. He’s a mature 31-year-old Ky. And he wants to win. And I think that makes all the difference in the world.

The two players didn’t have a great showing in their short time together last season. The Mavericks acquired Irving at the trade deadline in hopes that he would boost their playoff chances and perhaps allow them for a deep postseason run. Instead, Dallas dropped from 6th place all the way down to 11th in the span of two months, and the experiment was considered an abject failure by many.

But Cuban and company believe that they have the special sauce that will make Irving happy, and have invested much of their financial future on he and Doncic.

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