Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Andrew Irving entered the world on the 23rd of March 1992, in Melbourne, Australia. His parents were American expatriates named Drederick and Elizabeth Irving. They lived in the suburb of Kew before moving to the United States when Kyrie was two years old. This early move shaped his dual citizenship status between America and Australia. His father played professional basketball for the Bulleen Boomers in the South East Australian Basketball League after college. Drederick also played at Boston University alongside Shawn Teague. The family dynamic shifted significantly when Kyrie's mother died of an illness while he was only four years old. Drederick raised Kyrie with help from aunts and later remarried Shetellia Riley. She eventually became his agent. Growing up in West Orange, New Jersey, Kyrie attended his father's adult league games frequently. A school trip to the Continental Airlines Arena during fourth grade sparked a specific promise. He declared that he would play in the NBA and promised to make it happen.
Irving committed to Duke University on the 22nd of October 2009, during a televised broadcast on ESPNU. He played one season under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Through the first eight games, he averaged 17.4 points per game on 53.2% shooting. An injury to his right big toe occurred during the ninth game of the season. He returned for the NCAA tournament game against Hampton on March 17. Duke advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Arizona. Irving scored 28 points in what became his final game for the Blue Devils. He announced he would enter the 2011 NBA draft instead of playing three more seasons. Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the first overall pick. He won the Rookie of the Year award after receiving 117 out of 120 possible first-place votes. This made him the only unanimous selection to the All-Rookie First Team. His rookie averages included 18.5 points, 5.4 assists, and 46.9% field goal shooting.
The Cavaliers reached the 2016 NBA Finals facing the Golden State Warriors. Kyrie hit a three-pointer with 53 seconds left in Game 7 to secure a 93, 89 victory. The team became the first to rally from a 3, 1 deficit to win a championship. This ended a 52-year major sports drought for Cleveland. After another Finals appearance in 2017, Irving requested a trade from Cleveland. On the 22nd of August 2017, he was dealt to the Boston Celtics. He played two seasons there before signing with the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent on the 7th of July 2019. A four-year contract worth $136.5 million followed his move. Four years later, he requested another trade. The Nets sent him to the Dallas Mavericks on the 6th of February 2023. In exchange, Dallas received Markieff Morris and other assets. Irving reached his fourth NBA Finals with the Mavericks in 2024. They lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. His career trajectory spans multiple franchises and significant roster changes.
Irving represented the United States national team at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Team USA won the gold medal, and he earned tournament MVP honors. He started all nine games, averaging 12.1 points and 3.6 assists per game. He scored 26 points in the gold-medal game against Serbia. This performance led to him being named the 2014 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. Two years later, he helped Team USA win gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics. With that victory, he became just the fourth member of Team USA to capture an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year. He joined LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen in this exclusive group. In February 2025, he announced intentions to play for Australia in the 2028 Olympic Games. These achievements highlight his status as a global basketball icon beyond American borders.
In February 2017, Irving stated in a podcast interview that he believes the Earth is flat. He later denied these claims in September 2017, saying media misunderstood him as joking. By June 2018, he said he did not know if the world was round and encouraged people to do their own research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he shared social media posts claiming secret societies were administering vaccines in a plot involving Black people and Satan. On the 27th of October 2022, he tweeted a link to the film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America. The film promotes Black Hebrew Israelite ideology and includes denials of the Holocaust. Nets owner Joseph Tsai expressed disappointment over the tweet. The team suspended him without pay on the 3rd of November 2022, for five games due to conduct detrimental to the organization. Irving eventually issued an apology via Instagram but faced criticism from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for lacking an unqualified apology. The league and team donated $500,000 each to organizations combating religious hatred.
Irving played the role of Uncle Drew in Pepsi Max advertisements starting in 2012. He wrote and directed multiple episodes featuring stars like Bill Russell and Kevin Love. A feature film titled Uncle Drew released in June 2018. It included former NBA players such as Baron Davis and Ray Allen. He also appeared as himself in the Disney XD series Kickin' It during 2012. His voice work included roles in We Bare Bears in 2016 and Family Guy in 2018. Business partnerships expanded his reach significantly. His shoe deal with Nike was worth millions by 2019. Signature sneakers became the second best-selling line that year behind LeBron James. Collaborations included themed collections based on Friends and SpongeBob SquarePants. The latter sold out immediately upon release. In September 2023, he announced a partnership with Chinese brand Anta Sports. He joined as Chief Creative Officer of Anta Basketball. They launched a namesake sneaker line for the 2023, 2024 season. He also invested in Kicks Crew as Chief Community Officer in December 2023.
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Common questions
When and where was Kyrie Irving born?
Kyrie Andrew Irving entered the world on the 23rd of March 1992, in Melbourne, Australia. His parents were American expatriates named Drederick and Elizabeth Irving who lived in the suburb of Kew before moving to the United States when Kyrie was two years old.
Which team selected Kyrie Irving first overall in the 2011 NBA draft?
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick after he announced his entry into the 2011 NBA draft instead of playing three more seasons at Duke University. He won the Rookie of the Year award after receiving 117 out of 120 possible first-place votes.
What historic achievement did Kyrie Irving help the Cleveland Cavaliers accomplish in 2016?
Kyrie hit a three-pointer with 53 seconds left in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to secure a 93-89 victory over the Golden State Warriors. This win made the team the first to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a championship and ended a 52-year major sports drought for Cleveland.
Why was Kyrie Irving suspended by the Brooklyn Nets on the 3rd of November 2022?
The Brooklyn Nets suspended Kyrie Irving without pay for five games due to conduct detrimental to the organization following a tweet linking to a film promoting Black Hebrew Israelite ideology that includes denials of the Holocaust. Nets owner Joseph Tsai expressed disappointment over the tweet which led to the suspension.
When did Kyrie Irving announce intentions to play for Australia in the 2028 Olympic Games?
In February 2025, Kyrie Irving announced intentions to play for Australia in the 2028 Olympic Games after representing the United States national team at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and winning gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics.