Kyrie Irving is using his time in the offseason to address GOAT debates in the NBA.
Despite suffering a potentially career-altering injury during the 2024-25 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks still handed Kyrie Irving a new contract extension.
With that, Irving’s free agency quickly ended, but the Mavericks superstar still has plenty of time on his hands. Kai has used it in a plethora of ways.
Be it interviewing top free agents like Myles Turner or simply addressing popular debates like Bleacher Report’s Top 100 NBA players of all-time, where Irving was given the 69th spot.
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesKyrie Irving crucifies NBA top 100 players debate, says ‘basketball is bigger’
The NBA has seen its fair share of talent throughout its 79 years of history. Evidently, it has become a common practice for the media and fans alike to compare the best players of all time.
This results into further debates like what Jeff Teague said about Steph Curry and Magic Johnson’s all-time rankings.
However, Irving is thoroughly tired of such lists and debates, as he called them out during a recent live stream.
“Y’all are arguing over who’s the GOAT. I don’t f______ care. I don’t care who the GOAT is. I don’t care because basketball is bigger than the GOAT,” Irving said (h/t Oh No He Didn’t).
He further bolstered his point by adding: “Even the ‘GOATs’ of basketball will tell you that. Basketball is bigger than the GOATs.”
Michael Jordan recently proved Kyrie Irving’s point about GOAT debates
To be honest, Irving’s reasoning has been proven already. How? Well, the most common names in the GOAT debate are Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
However, this has led to hardcore fans of both stars taking shots at each other, often disrespecting the NBA legends as well.
While James has his own way of addressing these debates, most fans have always yearned to hear MJ’s side of the story.
Well, Jordan did so recently when he addressed his long-running rivalry with the King through a series of different sources.
“Mike laughs at half that stuff. He knows what it takes to play 20 years. He respects LeBron. A lot more than most people know,” the insider revealed.
“The GOAT debate is toxic because it’s not a debate. It’s a cult. And MJ is tired of being the golden calf,” an anonymous coach revealed.
At the end of the day, it’s tough to see this culture being erased completely. However, MJ is giving it a shot next season as he has reportedly joined NBC as a special contributor.