The Minnesota Timberwolves have proved to be the most entertaining team to watch this season. In a season full of twists and turns, Anthony Edwards and Co. have muscled their way to the Conference Finals. In a completely unexpected move, the Wolves bested the Nuggets despite them being the slight favorites to win it all. On the opposing end, the Dallas Mavericks have fought tooth and nail to reach this far. They continue to fight, seeing as how Luka Doncic is dealing with a slew of injuries, and manage to carry the team to the promised land.

All their efforts have led them to a crucial point in their postseason journey. As both teams look to land a spot in the NBA Finals, Game 1 has already given a glimpse into the kind of matchups we can expect going forward. Game 1 saw Dallas take the lead in the series with a 108-105 win in a tightly contested back-and-forth. And Kyrie Irving set the tone for the game early on with aggressive attacks downhill.

The veteran is getting back to a Conference Finals for the first time since 2017. So there was no doubt he was going to give it his all. Not to mention, he has gone through this before. “I’ve been here before so I gotta lead my guys. I gotta get off to a good start and set the precedent,” he had said to TNT’s Allie LaForce, showcasing his experience in the game.

Yet, ‘Uncle Drew’ credited his leadership skills to those doing the little things that go unnoticed. Talking to the Inside crew, Kyrie said, “You get motivation from failures. I was watching playoffs at home and I was taking little notes on some of the greatest leaders in our league. Draymond’s one of them. They are really the backbone of their team … so for me, I wanted to make sure we felt good after every single game. We got to be honest with each other, sometimes we had long meetings. It felt like therapy to me.”

Many thought that the NBA champion would struggle to share the spotlight with Doncic and that his tenure with the Mavs would be just like the past seven years when he decided to step out of LeBron James’ shadow. Contrary to all the analyses, Kyrie finally found a place where he could be himself. He found a team that was just as motivated and determined as him to get a ring.

All that was required for Irving was to keep his head down and plow on. Of course, his veteran experience and wisdom would also play a key role in the development of the Mavericks team. His teammates seem to agree with this as well.

Luka Doncic gives Chief Héla his due for the positivity of the team

While we always talk about the face of the franchise and a team’s superstar, it doesn’t necessarily mean they automatically become leaders. As an individual player, they might have all the makings of a star, statistics, and awards to back it up. But there is only so much they can do on their own. And that’s where the leaders step in.

The ones who keep the locker room chemistry going, rise to the occasion as and when needed. These are factors that do not show up on a stat sheet and the Dallas superstar, Luka, is aware of it.

Joining Scott Van Pelt at the SportsCenter, the Slovenian guard said, “Everybody looks up to him. We know what kind of a player he is. But off the court, he’s been amazing to us. Just helping us out, talking to us, keeping us positive. I’m really glad he’s on our team.”

Kyrie Irving finished the night as the second-best scorer of the game. He had 30 points, four assists, and five rebounds while hitting a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Both he and Doncic accounted for 88 of 108 points, either scoring or assisting on each.

What do you think of Kyrie’s journey so far? In hindsight, was his move from Cleveland justified? Can the Mavericks continue this momentum and defeat the Timberwolves to enter the NBA Finals? Let us know your thoughts!