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'I love Kai to death!' Mark Cuban gets real about relationship with Kyrie Irving and controversies surrounding Mavs star

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Ubong Archibong | Last updated 4/2/24

Despite Kyrie Irving being tangled in multiple controversies, Mark Cuban does not let that affect his relationship with the NBA star. In a recent podcast with Draymond Green, the billionaire revealed his real feelings toward Irving.

The billionaire addressed the concerns around Irving’s reputation when he joined the Mavericks – disclosing that the issue resulted from the media and was willing to stand in the crossfire for him. He talked about his high and personal admiration for one of the NBA’s most skilled athletes.

"I love Kai to death. The more I talk to him, he's got a heart of gold. He cares about too many things. If he has a problem, it's that he cares about too many things. There are certain people when you hug them, you feel who they are. That's Kyrie Irving." Mark Cuban via Draymond Green podcast

The comments from Mark Cuban illustrate the extent to which the Dallas Mavericks are making to ensure that Kyrie Irving gets the love and support he probably didn’t receive from the front office of his former teams. This was most recently shown in hiring a private chef to prepare him for the tedious Ramadan fast compared to the bananas offered by the Brooklyn Nets.

This season, he has formed a formidable duo with Luka Doncic as the Mavs aim to make a deep run for the title. He is averaging 25.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 5.3 APG as the Mavericks sit 5th on the Western Conference standings with a 45-29 record.

Kyrie Irving receives praise from rival head coach

Kyrie Irving isn’t only receiving accolades from his organization, he balled so hard that he won the heart of a rival. Houston Texans head coach Ime Udoka was the latest rival to acknowledge the greatness of ‘Uncle Drew’ after his scintillating performance in the 125-107 win against the Rockets.

“He’s the best one-on-one player I’ve ever seen or coached or been around.”

– Ime Udoka on Kyrie Irving

(Via https://t.co/e1B9GimWhV) pic.twitter.com/qX1u2tu8mA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 1, 2024

Udoka strongly believes that Kai is the best one-on-one and offensive player ever; however, he also said that even other players would agree that he is the most skilled player in the NBA.

"He's the best one-on-one player I've ever seen or coached. I've been around, and it's not a one-off; it's not a one-game or every other game." Ime Udoka

Udoka coached Irving as an assistant with the USA Basketball and the Brooklyn Nets, so he speaks from an excellent position of knowledge and understanding. Kai indeed deserves his flowers even as he plays the second chair to the Mavs Slovenian star, Luka Doncic.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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