Kyrie Irving was the third best player in the 2017 NBA Finals behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Irving averaged 29 ppg in the series against the Warriors. During the 2017 NBA Finals, Irving had moments when he looked downright unstoppable.
Finals MVP Kevin Durant was very impressed by Irving’s NBA Finals performance. Durant was so impressed, that he told the Bill Simmons Podcast that he believed Irving was better than, wait for it… 4x scoring champion, 2001 MVP, and Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
“Kyrie is better than AI to me. I’m going from like skill for skill. His handle is better. We might have to cut that out. I don’t want no problems with AI. Y’all might have to cut that one. I don’t want that to get out. I’m just saying I feel like Kyrie got more skill,” Durant told Bill Simmons.
Irving, 25, might have a better handle than Iverson, and probably has a more reliable jump shot than Iverson, but he has not proven that he can carry a team. AI took a team to the NBA Finals. Irving has not even taken a team to the playoffs without LeBron James. Now, could Irving surpass Iverson at some point? Kyrie has a lot of basketball left; he has one NBA title, and has an opportunity to win multiple titles. However, I am not ready to say he is better than Iverson.
As of right now, let’s pump the brakes on this conversation!
