Courtesy of Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving has been a Cleveland Cavalier now in his fourth season and we’ve seen him grow up before out very eyes. Irving turns 23 today on March 23, 2015. That’s right, only 23! The guy has won an NBA Rookie of the Year award, All Star MVP award, and a FIBA World Championship MVP. He has broken scoring records twice this year with his clutch and incredible scoring performances, scoring 55 against Portland and then 57 against the Spurs just over a month later.
Here, we take a look at eight stages of Kyrie Irving through the years, starting with his childhood:
8. Young Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia and stayed there until he was two years old. His mother passed when he was just four and his father, Boston University and Australian basketball star Drederick Irving, raised him and his siblings. Irving grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. There, he would go watch watch adult league games that his father played in.
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7. St. Patrick High School Star
Irving started his high school career with Montclaire Kimberly Academy. He played there for two years, averaging 26.5 points, 10.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 steals his freshman year, become the school’s second 1,000 point scorer in just his first season. After leading his team to the state championship, Irving transferred to St. Patrick HS for a more challenging basketball experience. He averaged 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in his first season at St. Patrick his junior year and then 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in his senior year.
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6. McDonald’s All American Game at Columbus, OH
In 2010, Irving was selected to the McDonald’s All American Boys Game, where the top high school recruits who were graduating played. Irving played with the likes of Harrison Barnes, Tobias Harris, Terrence Jones, Ray McCallum, Perry Jones III, Kendall Marshall, and even future teammate Tristan Thompson!
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Chuck Liddy | Raleigh News & Observer
5. One Year At Duke University
Kyrie Irving played the first eight games at Duke before sufferering a serious ligament injury in his right big toe. It would sideline him until the NCAA tournament, where he made his return and led Duke to the Sweet Sixteen. Irving averaged 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 11 games at Duke. He would forgo his final three seasons and declare for the NBA Draft.
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Gus Chan | The Plain Dealer
4. Kyrie Irving as a Rookie (2011-12)
Thomas Ondrey | The Plain Dealer
Kyrie Irving took the league by storm in the 2011-12 season after being drafted Number 1 by the Cavaliers out of Duke. In the lockout shortended season, Irving averaging 18.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in what was a clear-cut rookie of the year season for him.
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Chris Young | Canadian Press
3. Kyrie’s Sophomore Season (2012-13)
Kyrie’s second season was even better than the first, as he averaged 22.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 steals in what would be his first All-Star season. Iring scored a career high 41 points against the Knicks, becoming the youngest 40-point scorer at MSG.
He would not only play in the All-Star game, scoring 15 points, bringing down four rebounds, and dishing out three assists, but he would also compete in the Rising Stars Challenge on Team Shaq and the NBA’s Three-Point Shootout, which he would win after tallying 23 points in the final round.
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2. Kyrie’s 3rd NBA Season (2013-14)
Irving had a huge 2013-14 season, despite a slight dip in his scoring averages. He averaged 20.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.5 steals in his third season with the Cavs. For starters, Irving was voted by the fans to his first ever NBA All Star Game. There, he lit up the court, scoring 31 points on 14-17 shooting with five rebounds and 14 assists. That performance led his team to the victory, and Irving won the MVP award, which was the youngest ever at 21.
Irving also recorded his first ever triple double after the All-Star game with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in a victory over the Utah Jazz.
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David Richard | USA TODAY Sports
1. Kyrie’s 4th NBA Season (2014-15)
Kyrie Irving is now in his fourth NBA season, playing along two fellow All-Stars in LeBron James and Kevin Love. He signed a five-year, $90 million extension prior to their arrival and is now averaging 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game this season.
Irving scored a then-career high 55 points against the Portland Trailblazers on January 28, 2015. Irving hit 11 three-pointers that night, none bigger than the game winning face-up three over Nicolas Batum.
Just over a month later, Irving scored a new career high and franchise high 57 points against the San Antonio Spurs. Irving knocked down 20-32 shots and hit all seven on his three-pointers, none bigger than the buzzer-beater over Kawhi Leonard to send the game into overtime.