Kyrie Irving is one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. The greatest ball-handler in NBA history and former NBA champion, we have never seen a player who possesses the offensive skills that Irving has when it comes to breaking ankles, creating his own shot through dribble moves, and using a mix of unique finishes at the rim. The likes of Tim Hardaway, Isiah Thomas, and Allen Iverson were groundbreaking during his time, but Irving cranked it up to an entirely different level due to his creative finishing and shot creation.
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Irving also has some very impressive accolades on his resume. The point guard captured the 2016 championship after nailing the game-winner over Stephen Curry in Game 7, the largest achievement of his future Hall of Fame career. Kyrie also has 8 All-Star appearances, 3 All-NBA Team selections, and a Rookie of the Year award. But as great as Irving is, he had a ton of help in his career to help him achieve most of his success, including the pivotal 2016 NBA championship.
When comparing Irving to other all-time great players, it is clear to see that no other point guard might have had the amount of help that he had, and here is the official list of the quality talent that suited up alongside Kyrie. Only players who made All-Star teams are included, and it is sad to say that Kyrie Irving probably should have won more than one championship considering the type of talent he has been surrounded with since his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Without further ado, here are the 10 greatest teammates that Kyrie Irving had in his career.
Honorable MentionDeAndre Jordan
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 9.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Career Accolades: 2016-17 All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection, 2x Rebounds Champion
DeAndre Jordan played two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets and was supposed to be the third star of the franchise when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both signed. Jordan had already made an All-Star Team three years prior to joining the Brooklyn and also made 2 All-Defensive Teams, so his cache as a dynamic interior defender was clear. Of course, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both wanted the charismatic center on the roster.
Jordan was unable to replicate the impact of his Los Angeles Clippers day, only averaging 7.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 113 games with the Nets over two seasons. Kyrie did have Jordan by his side and could not find a way to find success as the Nets failed time and time again due to injuries, suspensions, and inconsistencies. As a former All-Star, Jordan was one of the most reputable players Irving had ever played with.
10. Ben Simmons
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 14.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career Accolades: 3x All-Star, 2019-20 All-NBA Team Selection, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection, 2017-18 Rookie of the Year, 2017-18 All-Rookie Team Selection, 2019-20 Steals Champion
Ben Simmons was supposed to be the (yet again) next third option on the Brooklyn Nets after he was brought to the franchise in the James Harden trade. Simmons, unfortunately, became a villain in the NBA after he quit on the Philadelphia 76ers, despite making 3 All-Star Teams and 2 All-Defensive Team selections. As a 6’10” point guard, Simmons has unique physical gifts that allow him to be a dominant defensive player, but NBA fans did not want to remember that.
Rather, they focused on Simmons’ inability to make jump shots and the complete lack of improvement in his game since coming into the league in 2018. As one of the leaders of the team, Kyrie Irving was supposed to help Ben Simmons return back to an All-NBA level, but that didn’t happen. Regardless, Simmons is easily one of Irving’s most talented teammates because he can lock down any player on any given night despite his below-average numbers this season (7.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 6.4 APG).
9. Gordon Hayward
Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 15.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Career Accolades: 2016-17 All-Star
Gordon Hayward’s career with the Boston Celtics got off to a terrible start after he broke his leg in the first game of the 2018 season. Hayward and Irving were supposed to be the All-Star tandem in Boston after they were signed in free agency, but the swingman missed the 2018 season completely. He returned in the 2019 season to play 72 games but was clearly not the same player as he posted 11.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 3.4 APG on 25.9 MPG.
Kyrie only had the 2019 season to actually play with Hayward available, but again, the point guard could not maximize his teammate’s play. As a former All-Star who averaged 21.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 2017, Hayward had the offensive skills to be an impactful player for the Celtics but never could reach that level again alongside Kyrie Irving.
8. Kevin Love
Credit: Allison Ferrand-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 17.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career Accolades: 2015-16 NBA Champion, 5x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 2010-11 Most Improved Player, 2010-11 Rebounds Champion, 2008-09 All-Rookie Team Selection
Kevin Love was truly a great third option with the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving got the bulk of the credit for the NBA Finals to win in 2016, but Kevin Love was arguably just as crucial. His clutch defense on Stephen Curry in the game’s final moments was a legendary Finals moment, and Love truly did everything he could to win the chip for the Cavaliers. Did it work? Absolutely.
Love provided the court spacing and rebounding the team needed and had to play a lesser role that was different than what he had in Minnesota when he was a 3-time All-Star averaging double-doubles and leading the NBA in rebounds. Love’s sacrifice on the court came a long way in him earning an NBA ring alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, and the point guard was lucky enough to play with an unselfish power forward who has a career average of 37.2% from the three-point line.
7. Al Horford
Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 13.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG
Career Accolades: 5x All-Star, 2010-11 All-NBA Team Selection, 2017-18 All-Defensive Team Selection, 2007-08 All-Rookie Team Selection
Al Horford was Kyrie Irving’s big man during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the only two years the point guard played for the Boston Celtics. Horford played in 140 games over the two seasons, posting 13.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 4.4 APG while playing hellacious defense. Horford made the All-Star Team in 2018, competing on both ends of the court. No doubt, Horford was the best center Irving played with.
Somehow, Irving, Horford, and the Celtics could not make the NBA Finals together. Kyrie should have done better with Horford down low and the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the wings. But Irving was unfortunately not an impactful leader at all, and his departure from the Celtics is sad to remember as Horford’s final All-Star season in 2018 was essentially wasted.
6. Jaylen Brown
Credit: Neil Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 17.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Career Accolades: 2x All-Star, 2016-17 All-Rookie Team Selection
Jaylen Brown was an up-and-coming player during 2018 and 2019, posting under 15 PPG each season. But he was a capable scorer, rebounder, and defender who was an elite athlete from the moment he stepped foot in the NBA. At 6’6” and 223 lbs, Jaylen Brown is extremely impactful as a physical specimen and was an excellent fourth option on the team alongside Kyrie Irving.
Brown has since developed into a 2-time All-Star, posting at least 23 PPG over the last three seasons. The swingman is a consistent shooter, shot-creator, and lockdown defender when he is dialed in. Kyrie could have benefitted from Brown’s presence as a two-way athlete much more, but both players have moved on, with Brown developing into a much better player than anyone imagined at this moment.
5. Jayson Tatum
Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 22.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career Accolades: 4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 2017-18 All-Rookie Team Selection
Similar to Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum was an up-and-coming star for the Boston Celtics at 19 and 20 years old when Kyrie was with Boston. Tatum averaged 13.9 PPG in his rookie season, making the All-Rookie Team. He became better in 2019, averaging 15.7 PPG and showcasing some of the offensive moves that we are seeing today. Obviously, Tatum is now a top-10 player in the world and a dominant scorer
It is a shame that Tatum and Kyrie could not win a championship together because the duo would have been iconically great if they had played with each other this season. Tatum did benefit from starting so young in the NBA alongside a star in Kyrie, but the forward would probably admit that the point guard did not help him achieve his individual success at the time. Rather, Tatum worked on his craft and had to learn on the job by focusing on basketball and nothing else.
4. James Harden
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 24.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career Accolades: 2017-18 MVP, 10x All-Star, 7x All-NBA Team Selection, 2011-12 Sixth Man Of The Year, 3x Scoring Champion, 2016-17 Assist Champion, 2009-10 All-Rookie Team Selection, NBA 75th Anniversary Team Selection
The Beard played with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn last year in one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history. The Brooklyn Nets had Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden on the same team and could not even make the Eastern Conference Finals. How is that possible? Well, each one of those players comes with heavy baggage and has unlimited amounts of drama. To be fair to Kyrie, James Harden’s drama had nothing to do with him.
Harden never wanted to be in Brooklyn from the start and quit on the team despite only playing 80 games. The Beard’s numbers were spectacular, as normal, as he averaged 23.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 10.5 APG, and 1.3 SPG while making two All-Star Teams. Harden never got to play with Kyrie enough, so we were robbed of an all-time great backcourt, but Kyrie still got to play with another Hall of Famer that availed to nothing.
3. Luka Doncic
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 27.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Career Accolades: 2x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2013-14 MVP, 13x All-Star, 10x All-NBA Team Selection, 2007-08 Rookie Of The Year, 2007-08 All-Rookie Team Selection, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 4x Scoring Champion, NBA 75th Anniversary Team Selection
Kyrie Irving has another future Hall of Fame teammate to play with: Luka Doncic. Doncic has been on a tear in the NBA since his rookie season, making 4 All-Star Teams, 3 All-NBA Teams, and winning Rookie of the Year. The Slovenian has averaged at least 27 PPG since his second year and even made the Western Conference Finals last year with Jalen Brunson as his best teammate. This season, Luka has a chance to actually have a reliable offensive creator alongside him, thanks to the shrewd move by owner Mark Cuban and company.
The future is extremely bright in Dallas because Doncic is only 23 years old, and Kyrie is still in his prime at 30 years old. That means there is a 4 or 5-year championship window if the duo stays together, and Irving has a chance to help Luka reach MVP status by winning a ton of games in the Western Conference. Kyrie and Luka are an unstoppable offensive duo, and if the Mavericks add another star alongside them, Kyrie can become a multiple-time champion before his career is over and start to erase his reputation as being a troublemaker and off-court distraction.
2. Kevin Durant
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 27.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Career Accolades: 2x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2013-14 MVP, 13x All-Star, 10x All-NBA Team Selection, 2007-08 Rookie Of The Year, 2007-08 All-Rookie Team Selection, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 4x Scoring Champion, NBA 75th Anniversary Team Selection
Since Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2020, Kyrie Irving has been a member of the Brooklyn Nets. But somehow, the duo has not managed to make an Eastern Conference Finals, at the very least. Durant is one of the game’s greatest players in terms of scoring the ball, and Irving had a chance to re-create his days with LeBron James with another superstar forward. Unfortunately, the 4-year stint has gone to waste.
When on the floor together, the Nets looked unbeatable, but that was few and far between. Durant missed the 2020 season completely, played 35 games in 2021, 55 games in 2022, and has appeared in only 39 games this season. Meanwhile, Kyrie appeared in 20, 54, 29, and 40 games consecutively. With that much missed time, we were robbed of what would have been one of the most successful duos ever.
1. LeBron James
Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Career Statistics: 27.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Career Accolades: 4x NBA Champion, 4x Finals MVP, 4x MVP, 19x All-Star, 18x All-NBA Team Selection, 6x All-Defensive Team Selection, 2003-04 Rookie Of The Year, 2003-04 All-Rookie Team Selection, 3x All-Star Game MVP, 2007-08 Scoring Champion, 2019-20 Assist Champion, NBA 75th Anniversary Team Selection
No doubt, Kyrie Irving’s best teammate was The King, LeBron James. Kyrie is the type of player who succeeds most alongside a true leader and was LeBron’s sidekick during their three seasons together. The teammates made the Finals every year, winning the 2016 championship with Kyrie nailing the game-winner over Stephen Curry in Game 7. LeBron elevated Kyrie’s game because he kept the point guard focused on basketball, and it truly worked.
Irving made two All-Star Teams over the 3-year stint with James and became a championship player with the Cavaliers. To be fair, LeBron James needed Kyrie just as much as the point guard needed The King because Irving proved to be the closer of the game and the primary perimeter shooter. LeBron James is disappointed not to have Irving by his side right now on the Los Angeles Lakers because The King knows that they excel and elevate each other. Unfortunately, that might not happen unless the Lakers offer maximum money to Kyrie, who will be a free agent next year.
Source: fadeawayworld
