The NBA has produced concerning ratings since the beginning of the season. In the eyes of the fans, maybe the league is losing its flare. But something that always tends to catch attention is brawls. The battle between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns turned hostile, resulting in three ejections to Naji Marshall, PJ Washington, and Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkić. A fine is imminent, even though the reaction was arguably justified. Luckily for the Mavericks duo, they have Kyrie Irving as their teammate.

Normally, KAI isn’t one to engage or promote violence on the basketball floor. He lets his game flow through him without letting any distractions get in the way. But in this case, his teammates were put in a position to defend themselves. And as Irving said after the game, “You got to at least put your hands up and swing back.”

Hence, what Irving saw from Washington was a teammate standing up for another. That’s why he offered to pay the fines for his fellow Mavs. After all, he signed a 3-year, $126 million deal only last year.

Moreover, Kyrie Irving also felt the drama and heat were exactly what the NBA needed. “Maybe that’s just the way we end 2024 where somebody actually swings in the NBA. Maybe that will help our ratings,” KAI cheekily commented.

This wouldn’t be the first time the enigmatic star has stepped in for his teammates. In the past, he and James Harden came together to cover a fine for Nic Claxton for hanging on the rim back when Irving was still on the Brooklyn Nets. It’s no surprise to see the crafty scorer become a great presence in the Mavericks locker room.

Kyrie Irving needs to step up for the Mavericks in Luka Doncic’s absence

Only two days ago, on Christmas, Kyrie Irving reminded the basketball world of just how decisive he can be in a game. With Luka Doncic exiting the game due to a calf injury, Dallas had a 21-point deficit to climb back from against a notorious Wolves defense. KAI put up a clinic, stitching together a 39-point eruption for the Mavs. Although it went in vain, it’s a role he’s going to have to get used to.

With Doncic reportedly out for at least a month, the onus falls upon the 32-year-old to take charge of the scoring. Thus far, in times without his running mate, he has always managed to elevate his game. In the 19 games that Irving has played without Doncic, he averages 27.3 points and 6.5 assists per game.

The mark is well above his concurrent season average. And the way he began tonight, it seemed to be on pace to hold true. Unfortunately, Irving had a disappointing second half in the low-scoring victory over Kevin Durant and the Suns. He finished the game with 20 points but had healthy contributions from his other teammates.

However, while tonight the Mavs found a way, Kyrie Irving can’t afford to have a slow motor, especially when battling against a top team. In an era of scoring, it ultimately comes down to getting a bucket. Uncle Drew needs no introduction to such a style of basketball. But duplicating Doncic’s command of the game is very hard.