Video: Kevin Durant Praises Kyrie Irving as ‘Complete Player’ Ahead of Suns vs. Mavs

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVNovember 8, 2024

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Former teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will face each other Friday when the Phoenix Suns go against the Dallas Mavericks, and the former had nothing but praise when asked about the guard’s approach on the court.

“I always thought Kyrie was a master level player, it’s been like that the last ten years,” he told reporters.

“I feel like he probably will never say this because he’s such a humble player, humble person, I just think he’s a complete player. There’s no weakness or no holes in his game physically or mentally.

“I feel like his approach to the game is perfect for what you need as a team. So, I think if you keep showing up everyday and keep adding to his greatness, his legacy, and he’s going to help out the Mavs as much as he can.”

Landon Buford @LandonBufordKevin Durant on where he thinks @KyrieIrving improved on the court:

“I always thought Kyrie was a master level player, it’s been like that the last ten years,” says Durant.

“I feel like he probably will never say this because he’s such a humble player, humble person, I just… pic.twitter.com/BzY7B7XvbQ

This is the second time they have faced each other this season, as Durant’s Suns earned a 114-102 victory over Irving’s Mavericks on Oct. 26.

Durant poured in 31 points in that contest, while Irving countered with 22 points and five assists in defeat. It was an early win for a Phoenix team that is rolling out of the gates with a 7-1 record and victories against potential Western Conference contenders in the Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers.

Irving and Durant were teammates on the Brooklyn Nets from the 2020-21 season until they were both traded during the 2022-23 campaign.

They were expected to contend for championships alongside James Harden as a Big Three, but injuries, suspensions and an overall failure to live up to elevated expectations defined that era. Brooklyn never made it past the second round during that stretch and eventually went into a reset by trading all three.

Still, Durant’s admiration of Irving’s game clearly didn’t change just because they were unable to win a championship together when they were teammates.

It is also unsurprising, as the 32-year-old is one of the best guards of his generation with a resume that includes a championship, a Rookie of the Year, three All-NBA selections and eight All-Star Game nods.

He helped lead Dallas to the NBA Finals last season and is looking to do the same again in 2024-25, although Durant’s Suns figure to be one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way.