NBA Legend: Kyrie Irving Held The Mavs Together As Luka Doncic Locker Room Fallout Rumor Spirals

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 119-110 in Game 2 last night. Dallas Point Guard Kyrie Irving emerged as the team’s lead and guiding force. His exceptional performance led the team to tie the score with OKC for the series. However, as they continue to tread well on the court, off-court tensions have been reported to surface between Luka Doncic and his teammates.

Former player-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins came onto ESPN to talk about the game and Kyrie’s contribution to the Mavs’ Game 2 win. And according to him, the point guard’s presence has been the ultimate for the team; scoring or trusting.

Kyrie Irving guides Mavs to Game 2 win

In the episode, Perkins said, “We haven’t seen Kyrie Irving this happy and this much of a leader since Moby Dick was a goldfish. And I’m serious about this. He had 11 dimes, but he was the ultimate floor general.” He was right. With 41 minutes in-game, he scored nine points on 2-of-8 shooting. But he led the team with two blocks and 11 assists, 2 steals, and 3 rebounds. Irving didn’t score as frequently during the game, but his playmaking and defense were crucial to Dallas’ win.

Irving’s effect went beyond the numbers. He involved all his teammates in his gameplay and encouraged their participation. “Tim Hardaway Jr., he has 17 points tonight, PJ Washington with 29 points,” Perkins noted. “And guess what? The way that Kyrie Irving was playing, it’s contagious.” If Kyrie wanted to, he could’ve easily stolen the show, however, their ability to support through right passing and energy, is what makes the team stronger, observes Perkins. “But when they start to trust others like the way that they’re doing, hey man they’re going to be dangerous.”

Luka Doncic played his usual best. He contributed 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. But off-court, rumors have been making rounds about tensions between Luka and his teammates. A comment made by an ‘anonymous veteran assistant coach’ said that Luka’s presence on-court can sometimes throw his teammates’ rhythm off. The anonymous source said that a ‘sigh of relief’ can be sensed every time Doncic checks out of a game. “It’s a sense of, ‘Hey, now we get to play.’ It’s difficult to have any rhythm if you’re not touching the ball,” said the source.

How true are the claims about Luka Doncic? Does his ball-dominant play diminish the team’s contribution as a whole? His skills are undeniable but how much is Luka able to contribute to the team’s win overall? More importantly, is he a good teammate?

The Luka Doncic Report

Luka Doncic may not be the best teammate. In an episode of ‘Run It Back,’ former Dallas player Chandler Parsons said, “I think he’s an unbelievable talent,” He continued. “He’s mesmerizing with the basketball. But as a teammate, it’s a little exhausting watching the same s*it over and over again. And then when you don’t win, it’s even magnified. Like, ‘OK, can we try something else? Can I maybe get the ball?’ It definitely can be frustrating.”  Although Parsons did not play with Doncic, his comments are definitely interesting. In fact, after he made the comments, analyst Shams Charania, agreed with him.

And Parsons isn’t alone in his opinion. Veteran analyst Brian Windhorst agrees. A few years ago, he talked about Doncic on a Dallas radio station. Calling Luka a ‘difficult person,’ Windhorst went on to say, “He’s a great player but when you watch the Mavericks play, he’s barking at the coach, he’s barking at his teammates, he’s barking at the officials. He’s always barking about something. He can really be an irritable guy.” Luka’s teammates on the other hand have only sung his praise. Kyrie has talked about how much he respects Doncic and how it’s a pleasure to be his teammate, “It’s an honor. It makes the game easier.”

Kyrie Irving’s on-court leadership and Luka Doncic’s rumors are definitely adding intrigue to the Dallas Mavericks’ off-court trajectory as the team navigates playoffs. For now, the Mavs can focus on basking in the glory of their win. They meet with OKC again on May 11, 3:30 pm EST for Game 3.