Wait… Kyrie Irving? Inspiring the Dallas community? Isn’t this the guy who was once Public Enemy No. 1 in Boston? The player Nike dropped like a bad stock? The guy whose Brooklyn stint crashed under the weight of controversy after controversy? Yeah, that one. And yet here we are. Irving’s journey in the NBA has been anything but ordinary. From fascinating performances to headline-grabbing controversies, he’s kept fans and critics alike on their toes. Now, after a rollercoaster few years filled with drama, setbacks, and reinvention, the spotlight is shining on Irving once again. But this time, the momentum is looking different.

The fan base dubbed the most negative in the NBA just got a rare moment of pure, unexpected joy. And it wasn’t from a trade or a W. It came from Kyrie Irving, walking into a Dallas kids’ basketball practice with no announcement or PR push, but vibes, smiles, and buckets. The kids lit up, and just like that… support for Kyrie Irving is swelling in Dallas, where the guard is quietly rebuilding his name amid big changes both on and off the court.

Sound dramatic? Maybe. But everything about Kyrie’s career has been dramatic, hasn’t it? And that’s exactly what makes this moment hit different. After years of being the NBA’s favorite headline villain, the tide might actually be turning. From one fan commenting, “Kyrie has a big heart❤️,” it only paved the way for more such supporters. Which brings us to Nico Harrison, Dallas’ GM.

According to insider Jake Fischer, the Mavs are aiming to re-sign Kyrie to a new three-year deal worth roughly $120 million, whether it begins with his $44 million player option or as a fresh contract. “The Mavericks, either using that option as the starting point for an extension or based on an entirely new deal, have been hoping to re-secure Irving under contract for the next three seasons in the same annual ballpark of $40 million,” Fischer reported.

That’s not just trust. That’s a franchise gamble. Especially given, Kyrie suffered an ACL tear in March and “is targeting sometime in January to make his return,” as reported by Shams Charania. Yet no one’s flinching. Not the front office. Not the players. And clearly, not the kids. Because this isn’t just about a contract. It’s about changing the narrative, a redemption arc in sneakers.

Kyrie Irving’s second chance starts with fans in Dallas

There was a time not long ago when Kyrie Irving couldn’t get through a press conference without dodging questions about team chemistry, his stance on vaccines, or why his relationship with Nike went up in flames. That was the Brooklyn version. The Boston version wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy either when he left that city with playoff scars and no shortage of burned bridges. But then, with the now viral reel, came reactions from the fans, with one fan writing: “Can’t believe I ever didn’t like this guy. Never been gladder to get proven so wrong about someone.”

Another fan wrote, “Personally, as a Mavericks fan I can’t believe what an outstanding signing Kyrie has been. We absolutely have to keep him in Dallas the rest of his career.”

And then came the ever eye-opening comment, which took us to flashbacks of Irving’s entire career. The comment read, “kyrie has changed his life around love it.” For more context to those new here, Irving’s troubles off the court have been as public as his dazzling ball-handling. His runs with the Celtics and Nets were as headline-heavy as they were short-lived. In Boston, after famously declaring he’d re-sign “If you guys will have me back,” things quickly unraveled. Chemistry issues, locker room tension, and underwhelming playoff results soured his time with a young core that never quite clicked with him at the helm. In Brooklyn, it got even messier.

Add in the 2022 antisemitic controversy that cost him his Nike deal and led to a team suspension, and Brooklyn felt more like a media circus than a championship contender. The fallout cast a long shadow over his reputation in the league and among fans. Eventually, the trust eroded, and both franchises quietly showed him the door.

But Dallas? Dallas is weirdly working. And now that Luka Doncic has inched closer to a new chapter elsewhere, the city is slowly, maybe reluctantly, beginning to see Kyrie as the guy. Not a co-star, nor a question mark, but a cornerstone, as one fan summed it up best, saying, “Kyrie building his tribe in Dallas, now that Luka is out of the way.” Once vilified for things that went far beyond the basketball court, Kyrie is now quietly becoming the face of a franchise that desperately needs one. One with charisma. One who connects.

And maybe that’s the real $120 million decision here. Not whether Kyrie is worth the money, but whether Dallas is finally ready to believe in him like it never has before. And if you need a clue, just ask the kids in that court. They didn’t see a cautionary tale. They saw a star who showed up when he didn’t have to. And in today’s NBA, that counts for a lot more than it used to.