Damian Lillard gets real about defending Kyrie Irving in 1-on-1 matchups

Kyrie Irving is considered to be one of the greatest ball-handlers in the history of the NBA.

Damian Lillard gets real about defending Kyrie Irving in 1-on-1 matchups

Damian Lillard talks about Kyrie Irving (image via NBA)

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has made his mark in the NBA as one of the best ball handlers ever seen. Recently Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard appeared as a guest on Jeff Teague’s ‘Club 520 Podcast.’ 

During the podcast, Lillard discussed the toughest opponent to guard one-on-one in the NBA. Without hesitation, Damian Lillard named Kyrie Irving as the toughest player to guard one-on-one. The Bucks star even praised Irving for his skills, stating that watching him operate on the floor smoothly is a great experience. He mentioned that Irving makes even the hardest ball-handling moves look really easy to do.

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1-on-1, Kyrie a tough matchup. He's just a tough matchup. You can guard him perfectly, & he’ll still make it. Either hand, bumping him, he does it when it don't look like it's hard to. Sometimes people do it and they make it look smooth, all net, you're like, 'Damn.' That can turn into him making every shot.
Damian Lillard said via Club 520 Podcast

Irving is currently playing with the Mavericks and is on the quest to win his second championship. In his last season, he averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Irving has been surrounded by controversies throughout his career but no one can deny his skills on the court.

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Kyrie Irving’s tribute to Kobe Bryant with his ANTA sneakers

It’s been over four years since the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant. His memories still live on. Recently Kyrie Irving paid homage to Bryant with the release of his new shoes.

Irving has been signed with Chinese brand ANTA since July 2023. He recently released the new line of his shoes the Shock Wave 5 Pro. The design of the shoe directly pays homage to Kobe Bryant with the classic purple and gold color scheme like that of the Los Angeles Lakers. The shoes are also detailed with tiny hits of yellow and purple, resembling snake scales.

The extremely high-performing basketball shoes will be released at a retail price of $165. Fans will certainly see Irving rock the sneakers in the next regular season.

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