The summer of Kyrie Irving continues in Rio

By almost any measure, Kyrie Irving is having a great summer. And great is probably underselling it. 

Irving kicked off his summer by hitting the game-winning shot in Game 7 of the NBA Finals as the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from 3-1 a series deficit against the Golden State Warriors. After the Cavs won, Irving popped champagne in the locker room and then took the Larry O’Brien trophy to Vegas with the rest of his teammates for more champagne. He then took to the streets with LeBron James, a shirtless J.R. Smith and over a million people in a wild celebration of Cleveland’s title drought finally being over. From there, Irving continued on to the ESPYs where he again was able to celebrate with his teammates. An extended celebration for a player whose exploits demanded it.

Now, with the Olympics set to start, it’s time for Irving to get back to basketball — although he still looks to be enjoying the moment, singing Vanessa Carelton songs on the plane with the teammates. On a Team USA squad that is lacking some of the sports’ defining players — LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook — Irving figures to play a central role. If Kevin Durant is the team’s best player and Carmelo Anthony is the veteran leader, Irving is the up-and-coming star set to breakout in Rio.

And as much as he was talented and had won awards before, Irving’s NBA Finals game winner changed at least some perceptions about him as a player too. Prior to winning the title, Irving was on path not dissimilar to what Anthony was on as a younger player. Irving hadn’t won anything, he didn’t put a lot of effort in on defense a lot of the time and his game alienated people because he plays in a way that can be frustrating as much as it is effective.

Winning a title doesn’t 100 percent remove concerns about his game and void him of any future criticism, but it takes him off the Melo path. When Kyrie — who is still just 23 years old — hits his prime, that ring gives him insulation from criticisms about his status as a star. He may remain imperfect in the way Melo is now, but he won. Irving can do his best Pat Riley impression if he so wants to. It doesn’t hurt that he has LeBron’s co-sign either. At this point, he is LeBron’s chosen successor in Cleveland and he’s earned that status.

There are others breakout candidates in these Olympics to be sure — Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins stand out — and Kyrie certainly benefits from Curry, Westbrook and even Chris Paul not suiting up for various reasons. But Irving is riding a wave off the Finals, off of that game-winning shot and off of that historic title win. For Irving, there another level to reach in Rio, another ladder in the NBA’s star hierarchy to climb. On this team, with other stars and great players, Irving is in a perfect position to succeed both by playing off his teammates and carving out his own opportunities. And with the U.S. being an overwhelming favorite to win gold, Irving will likely join the small list of players to win an NBA title and Olympic gold.

The argument against Irving’s star rising in Rio — that he won’t have as many opportunities to score in isolation or just in general on a team loaded with scorers — doesn’t hold much water. The last time Irving played for USA Basketball at the 2014 FIBA World Cup — a team that featured Curry, James Harden and a few other guards with name value — he was one of the team’s best players, if not the best. Ultimately, Irving was named the tournament’s MVP by averaging 12.1 points and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 56.2 percent from the field and a scorching 60.9 percent from three on about three attempts per game.

The Irving from that tournament lays the exact blueprint for what he needs to do at this tournament: pick his shots while scoring and set up others more than he does with the Cavs, while playing with effort on defense. If he plays like this again, it would only add to Irving’s legacy of performing at his best when the lights are brightest:

Irving, too, stands out because he is the lone Cavalier on Team USA and in the entire tournament. With LeBron and Kevin Love both staying home, Irving will be the one labeled on broadcasts as a ‘title winner’ and a ‘champion’ over and over again, the only one there still basking in the glow of Cleveland’s comeback . It’s a virtual lock that at some point during one of the Americans’ likely blowout wins, Irving will make a highlight play that looks a lot like the game winning shot he hit over Curry late in Game 7 and the announcers will bring up Cleveland’s win and how big of a part he had in it. In a sense, the announcers will be selling the casual fan on Irving throughout the tournament. 

If and when he crosses someone over, he’s only going to sell himself more to the fans at home who maybe don’t watch the NBA much if at all. Those are the people who may come to know who Irving is beyond the ‘Uncle Drew’ Pepsi commercials after this tournament. They are key to him reaching that next level, of general star status that only a few NBA players hit.

Barring injury or an unexpected bad performance in Rio, Irving’s star is only going to grow from here. The summer of Kyrie Irving continues in Rio.

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