Kyrie Irving has recently received a lot of flak for his off-court antics. However, his difficult childhood might explain his outlandish activities outside the basketball court. His mother passed away prematurely when he was just 10 years old. After the fateful event, his father, Drederick Irving, took it upon himself to help his son make a name for himself in the basketball world. He sacrificed his own basketball career, so Kai could go on and pave his own path.

However, that path to success was definitely not an easy one. The 8-time NBA All-Star recently revealed his “extremely tough” upbringing with his father.

Kyrie Irving opens up about his difficult childhood

In the inaugural episode of the Life of Kai docuseries, Kyrie Irving got up close and personal about his life. He divulged various facets of his life, including the challenges that he faced early on in his life. He said, “I was a coach’s son, still am a coach’s son; if you know, you know what that means. My dad was extremely tough on me, just to kind of break me down to build me up.”

Uncle Drew has always been vocal about his father?s role in shaping his career. Thanks to his sacrifice, Kyrie is now recognized as one of the greatest ball handlers in the league. He has achieved what his father had dreamed of but couldn’t. Although Drederick Irving?s NBA dreams were crashed, his son makes sure to honor him for his sacrifices in his own unique way.

Kyrie’s connection to number 11

Throughout his NBA career, Kyrie has sported jersey No. 11 on several occasions to pay tribute to his father, who used to wear the same number during his Boston days. When he couldn’t manage to get the number 11, he would improvise and switch to the number 2 (1+1). When he was acquired by the Dallas Mavericks last season, he started his journey with jersey No. 2. However, after re-signing with the team this offseason, he replaced Mavs guard Tim Hardaway Jr. as jersey No. 11.

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Although it is the number his father wore, he has a significant connection with that number. During a matchup between the Nets and the Hornets last season, a reporter decoded this connection. He said, “He was born at 1:11, his dad wore No. 11 when he played college ball at Boston University, Kyrie Irving is exactly 11 letters long. Even the letter K is the 11th letter of the alphabet. And after playing a total of 11 games at Duke due to injury, he was drafted pick one of round one in 2011.”

Read More: ?See a Bright Future?: NBA?s Problem Child Kyrie Irving?s Latest Project Draws Admiration From $160 Million Warriors Star

Kyrie Irving did not have it easy growing up. However, his father’s strictness paid off in the end, with Irving establishing himself as one of the most unguardable players in the league.

Watch this story: Despite Shaking Hands With $33 Billion Worth Anta, Kyrie Irving Remains Elusive Amongst Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour-Backed NBA Stars