Michael Jordan is to the NBA, what Mike Tyson is to boxing—both are legends of their own sports! However, has Kyrie Irving surpassed the ‘Black Cat’? Ask Erickson Lubin—Irving seems to have achieved the honor. The update comes just after Luka Dončić led Dallas Mavericks swept the floor with Minnesota Timberwolves.

Dončić and Irving seemed especially on top of their game as the Mavericks extended their lead 3-0 against Timberwolves in the 2024 Western Conference finals. The game 3 win got them a step closer to their first appearance in the NBA finals after 13 years, with many crediting the team’s success to Dončić and Irving. However, the 28-year-old Orlando native seems to be fixated on Irving’s performance as he compared Irving to Michael Jordan on social media today.

Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić rewrite playoff history

Turning to X, the 26-2 boxer wrote, “Kyrie [Irving] better than Michael Jordan.” While there’s a huge argument to be had about Lubin’s statement, Irving’s performance in tandem with Dončić was indeed “unbelievable”, as Dončić described Irving’s performance to reports. “That’s why some people call him Mr. Fourth Quarter, right”, he added. 

The dynamic duo each tallied 33 points with an impressive shooting accuracy of 50% or higher against Minnesota, electrifying the crowd at the American Airlines Center in North Texas. Talk about making history! No NBA squad has ever come back from a deficit like that in a playoff series. Teams holding the lead were sitting pretty at 154-0 before this game!

Irving really came through in the clutch for Dallas, putting up 14 points in the fourth quarter to keep Minnesota at bay, even though they were leading with just over five minutes left. And check this out – between Dončić and Irving, they had a hand in 26 out of the Mavericks’ 29 points in that last quarter.

Dončić and Irving just pulled off something epic: They’re the first starting backcourt in the last 50 years to each drop 30 points in three playoff games straight. So, when a reporter probed Irving about his and Dončić’s performance, he had a lot to say. 

Irving feels they were born for this

The Mavericks will have the opportunity to secure a spot in the NBA finals for the third time ever in the team’s history on Tuesday in Dallas. However, before that happens, Irving has expressed his confidence in his tandem with team captain Dončić. Speaking to a reporter after the game on Sunday, Irving said, “I feel like we’re both born for this.”

“I felt like in that fourth quarter, we had a good run going. We got stops in the fourth quarter and we decided to push and get some easy ones,” Irving added. “Since the All-Star break, we’ve been up there with some of the top teams in the league finishing clutch games. We have a great clutch record. I think we have that poise now and teams have to guard the depth we have,” Irving explained. 

As Game 3 wraps up with an incredible performance, and the Mavericks gear up for what’s next, it looks like Kyrie Irving has gained himself another die-hard fan in Erickson Lubin. But do you agree with Lubin’s tweet? Who do you think is better?