Kyrie Irving Falls 4 Inches Shorter From Becoming the League’s Best, as Per 39YO NBA Champ

Published 04/29/2024, 1:12 AM EDT

What would it have been like if Kyrie Irving was any taller? Notably, Irving has been arguably the best ball-handler and a proficient scorer in the league for quite some time now. And his recent performance against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 affirms this chain of thought. However, fans often wonder what it would have done for Irving if he was any taller than 6’2″. One of the most recent ones to weigh on this is Kenrick Perkins. He believes that some extra inches to the Mavs star would have made him something never witnessed before in the NBA.

“Man if Kyrie was 6ft 6 would go down as best in game,” the 39-year-old posted on ‘X’. This comes after the Dallas Mavericks‘ Game 4 against the LA Clippers. While the Mavericks lost to the Clippers 111-116, tying the series at two games a piece, the highlight of the night was Irving displaying a different level of domination. The 8x All-Star recorded 40 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, emerging as the highest scorer of Game 4 from either of the teams.

Man if Kyrie was 6ft 6 would go down as best in game
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 28, 2024

Though Irving’s entire gameplay was a treat to watch, one of the most memorable moments came during the 4th quarter of the game. The Mavs star executed a drive to the basket, facing off against the Clippers’ trio of James Harden, Paul George, and Terance Mann. And despite the concerted efforts of the three defenders, Kyrie knocked down the basket with a crafty move.

The highlights of this particular move have been making rounds on social media platforms. These posts have once again prompted the netizens to discuss Kyrie Irving as the most skilled player ever. This shows that Perkins is not making individualistic wild assumptions stating that Irving would have been the best ever in the NBA had he been 6 ‘6. Moreover, he is not the only or first from the NBA, who has stated his opinion on this.

Other NBA members’ opinion of Kyrie Irving, if he was any taller

One of the most popular claims came from Lakers’ Assistant coach Phil Handy when Irving was with the Brooklyn Nets. Handy had made a comparison between Kobe Bryant and Irving back in 2022. This attracted some support and some heat from the fans back then. “If Kyrie was 6 ‘6”, you would see Kobe mirrored back at you,” Handy told Bleacher Report’s Nick Jungfer.

Apart from this, as stated by NBA reporter Kristian Winfield, Kyrie Irvings’ teammate in Brooklyn, Mike James, had also weighed in on the possibilities for the 6 ‘2 player if he was any taller. “Mike James says people are lucky Kyrie Irving is only 6 ‘2″ and that if he was taller it would be over for the league,” Winfield had posted on X.

While Irving’s career has been marred by some off-court incidents, there is no doubting his abilities as a basketball player. Along with LeBron James, Kyrie was instrumental in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ iconic comeback from down 3-1 in the NBA Finals in 2016. Irving will always get people out of their seats and one can only wonder what could have been if he was taller.

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Written by:

Khelendra is an NBA writer at Essentially Sports, where he brings insightful analysis and engaging content to basketball enthusiasts worldwide. With a passion for the game cultivated from his own experiences as a basketball player, he has represented his school team in numerous tournaments, honing both skills and an intimate understanding of the sport. Khelendra holds a PG Diploma in Digital Media from a reputed university, providing him with a solid foundation in multimedia storytelling and digital content creation.

Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth