Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were a relatively fresh partnership in NBA terms. And it was assumed their race had plenty left to run.
Kyrie Irving was acquired by the Dallas Mavericks in 2023 in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. It gave superstar Luka Doncic a high-calibre player he needed to share the offense with.
It did not take long for the team to reach success. They reached the NBA Finals in 2024, and while they lost to the Boston Celtics, the plan was to re-tool, and go again next season.
Now midway through 2024-25, the Mavericks plan has been ripped up, with a new direction being charted after a blockbuster trade.
The Mavericks lost the NBA Finals in a 4-1 series defeat to the Boston Celtics in 2024. After the game five loss, Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were spotted in conversation on the court.
Asked about their conversation in his post-game press conference, Luka Doncic explained when asked about the embrace.
Doncic said: “Just stay together, man. I think just having Ky on my team — I mean, on our team, he’s unbelievable.
“Just help him. We said, We’ll fight together next season, and we just going to believe.”
Luka Doncic is now teaming up with LeBron James on the LA Lakers, a surprise move nobody saw coming.
Irving and Doncic had worked well together, yet injuries had a negative impact on the team’s campaign, currently 26-23.
On the Mavericks, Irving will be partnered by Anthony Davis. Two players who have shared a team with LeBron James becoming running-mates.
It is a move the Mavs believe make them better defensively, an area where they came unstuck in the NBA Finals last season.
Fans hoped that Doncic and Irving would be able to shake off injury concerns and fight with all they have in the NBA playoffs.
And they will, except they will be on different teams and not together.
