Kyrie Irving created one of the greatest moments in NBA history when he hit the game-winning shot in the 2016 NBA Finals to defeat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors by completing the first 3-1 comeback in the Finals alongside LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Irving appeared on Kai Cenat's Thanksgiving stream and opened up on the moment he drained arguably one of the greatest shots in NBA history.
"It's one of those trilogy moments where we're going against the top of the world. We got Steph MVP, Klay one of the best shooters of all time, Caleb over on the wing, Andre Iguodala, Bron, all this stuff, and this moment, that's what all the hard work in the background amounts to."
"Just counting down, practicing, when nobody's watching. Nobody cares to remember all the reps you make and miss by yourself, but when you get to these moments on the biggest stage in the world."
"Yeah, I was nervous as shit. Look at my palms, cold. That's how I be on the court sometimes. Just nervous."
Cenat and his crew asked Irving to recreate the shot as well, but Irving declined to do so with a classy reason.
"Sorry fellas, that's the past. Time to create new memories for the new generation."
Irving averaged 27.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in the 2016 NBA Finals, as the Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit to the greatest regular season team of all time. Irving hit the shot that sealed the series, but LeBron James led the charge by averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks over the seven games.
It was a revenge win for the Cavaliers, who had lost the 2015 NBA Finals to the Warriors with Irving and Kevin Love injured for that series.
This shot is remembered as one of the greatest in NBA history with good reason, as it sealed the first-ever 3-1 comeback in the NBA Finals, arguably against the toughest possible opponent. It's the greatest feather in the caps of everyone on that team, but Irving is still waiting to return to the summit as a one-time champion.
He came close to winning his second title last season before the Dallas Mavericks were completely outmatched by the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals. Hopefully, Irving and the Mavericks can replicate last season's magic and make a similar run back to the Finals with a hopefully different result.
Kyrie Irving Is Having A Great Season
Irving is still playing at an elite level, averaging 24.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists so far this season with the Dallas Mavericks. This year's Mavericks are constructed to be more capable of withstanding stretches without Luka Doncic, as the team has gone 4-1 without Doncic.
Irving has carried the load but the team's been buoyed by the increased production of forwards PJ Washington and Naji Marshall. Irving is an elite guard in the NBA still, potentially returning to the NBA All-Star Game this winter if he stays healthy and continues producing like this.
He's the perfect offensive complement to Doncic, and it'll be interesting to see how Luka comes back from his wrist injury sometime in the next few games. It's unclear if he'll be in the lineup for Dallas' game against the Utah Jazz on Friday, but fans will be confident in their ability to win that game with Kyrie leading the charge as well.
