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“Don’t Think I Could’ve Ever Imagined”: 22 Years on, Kyrie Irving Reminisces Growing up a Jason Kidd Fan to Now Playing for Nets Legend

Published 09/29/2023, 2:57 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

From his early years, Kyrie Irving displayed a penchant for charting a unique path for himself. Whether it’s his intriguing story of honing his skills under the rim or his brief yet impactful college career, Kyrie has always been a fascinating figure. Furthermore, throughout his journey, Kyrie has admired a unique mix of players, one of them being the legendary Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets’ Jason Kidd.

Interestingly, Jason Kidd currently serves as the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Beyond his illustrious career, Kidd possesses a profound understanding of the Mavericks’ culture – something Kyrie is eager to immerse himself in. Additionally, Kidd spent over five years playing for Dallas and notably secured a championship against LeBron James’ Miami Heat in 2011.

Kyrie Irving shares on playing for Jason Kidd

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In a recent media interaction, Kyrie openly delved into various aspects of his personal and professional life. During the conference, he was asked whether he had ever envisioned himself playing under the tutelage of Jason Kidd, someone he had admired since childhood.

Kyrie’s response was heartfelt. He said, “I don’t think I could have ever imagined it this way,” Irving said after day two of training camp. “And this is beautiful honestly. Because I could reflect on this journey and say I was that nine-year old kid looking up to J-Kidd leading the New Jersey Nets in those Finals.”

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Jason Kidd is 50 years old. He entered the league when Kyrie was a mere 9 years old. In the upcoming season, both Kyrie and Kidd will play pivotal roles in determining Mavericks’ success; alongside Luka Doncic.

Read More: “Me & Luka (Doncic), We’re So Skilled..”: Kyrie Irving Reveals What’s Keeping Mavericks From Excelling While Bragging About His Own Prowess

Kyrie holds immense respect for Kidd, particularly for his conduct off the court. Beyond learning from him about various facets of the game, Kyrie is also eager to imbibe valuable life lessons from Kidd. Intriguingly, Kyrie and Kidd share the same birthdate, adding another layer of connection to their already unique bond.

Jason Kidd has revealed the Mavs lineup for their first pre-season game

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The start of training camp has fans of the Dallas Mavericks buzzing with excitement. All eyes are on the potential chemistry building between Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Unlike last season, they have ample ties to forge a hardwood bond. In return, expectations are soaring for their on-court production.

With preseason games looming less than a week away, the Mavs’ starting lineup has become a subject of intense interest for fans. Recently, Jason Kidd addressed this topic on The Saturday Stein Line with Marc Stein. Additionally, he also shared his impressions after the first day of training camp.

Kidd is deciding to start new rookies alongside Williams, Irving, and Doncic. The move comes to assess how the players mesh with the established core. Derek Lively II will likely be Dallas’ starting centre on the opening night. Luka Doncic already has confidence in his chemistry with Lively II. This hints at the potential for a lethal pick-and-roll duo between the two. 

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Despite the lineup, Kidd can significantly change his decision in the coming days. After all, it is all about trying different lineups and maintaining efficiency. However, the current indication suggests that the starting lineup will feature Lively II, Prosper, Irving, Doncic, and Williams.

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Written by:

Saahil Dhillan

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Saahil Dhillan is an NBA Writer at Essentially Sports. He has been writing articles and blogs for 5 years now, including those for a sports brand that manufactures knee braces, for a Red Bull athlete in 2019 and for a documentary of an Ultra Running Coach in 2021. There’s plenty Saahil can write about why he likes basketball, having followed the NBA for more than 10 years, but he is most keen on picking out various offense/defense strategies, on/off-court decisions, roster changes in crunch time and other underrated key elements that leave an impact on the scoreboard.
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Edited by:

Bilal Handoo