Mavericks can't catch a break as Kyrie Irving disrespect continues in viral ranking

In the middle of the 2022-23 NBA season, a bold trade was made involving the Dallas Mavericks when they traded for then-Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving. Dallas trading for Irving may have been a surprise at first, as he had issues with three teams before joining the Mavericks, but Nico Harrison thought it would have been more of a risk to not trade for Irving than to trade for him, and it has paid off thus far.

However, trading for Irving and signing him to multiple contracts was a big deal to show that the Mavericks can entice big-name players in the NBA to join them. It would take his second season in Dallas for Irving to become a Maverick legend by not only posting one of the best seasons by a guard in Mavericks history but also helping the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals.

Irving's 2024-25 season was cut short due to him tearing his ACL. Even with Irving out to miss the start of the 2025-26 season, the Irving disrespect while he's in Dallas continued with a ranking that may have been way too low.

Kyrie Irving gets disrespectfully underrated once again

Bleacher Report posted an article recently on the best 100 players in NBA history. Bleacher Report named Irving as the 69th best player in NBA history, which is a major slap in the face to his accomplishments and nonstop dominance.

"Flash and substance have never collaborated so effectively as when they teamed up with Kyrie Irving. Stephen Curry is the lone acception," Bleacher Report said about Irving.

There might be at least three players ranked ahead of Irving that can be wrong, with many more than three questionable options. Robert Parris was ranked 68th all-time, Joel Embiid was ranked 66th all-time, and Vince Carter was ranked 65th all-time.

Irving has averaged more points in his career than Parrish and Carter. While Parrish has three more championships than Irving, the 2016 championship Irving won with the Cleveland Cavaliers might be the most iconic ring of all-time, with not only completing a 3-1 series comeback, but also hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in the final minute of Game 7 against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.

For Embiid, Irving had more playoff success in one season in Dallas than Embiid has in his whole career with the Philadelphia 76ers. Irving made an NBA Finals in Dallas, while Embiid hasn't made a single Conference Finals appearance over his entire career.

For Carter, he will go down as the best dunker in NBA history. However, Irving's point production got better even with aging. For Carter, his point averages got lower in his 30s, which is where Irving is at right now.

Irving has averaged 23.7 points per game in his NBA career. What some might find shocking is that Irving has averaged 25.5 points per game as a Maverick in three seasons. Irving's 4.9 rebounds per game as a Maverick is the most among any team he's played for in his career.

What helped Irving desperately was maturing when he got to Dallas. Irving showed that better when he played with Luka Doncic before he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The two embraced big when the Mavericks eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the 2024 playoffs, and they clearly formed a strong bond on and off the floor.

Irving mentioned how he wanted to be a "brother" to Doncic on and off the court. Doncic followed it up with how he was "nothing but supportive" to him.

Along with being an NBA Champion and Maverick superstar, Irving has won a Rookie of the Year award, made nine All-Star Games, and has made an All-NBA team three times. Being ranked 69th all-time in NBA history may have been way too low for Irving with his outstanding career, and as his career goes on, he will continue to climb the rankings and prove the doubters wrong.