How do you motivate Kyrie Irving? Talk trash about Luka Dončić

It’s the big brother quote of the year and it speaks volumes about the Dallas star duo.

On Media Day in Dallas earlier this week, the mood was through the roof. Luka Dončić was joking with reporters that he had missed them (fat chance), threw a towel at Spencer Dinwiddie mid-interview, and Derek Lively called Luka his bestie and decided to give him his flowers.

Kyrie Irving showed up ready and with a smile, took his time talking to the media, always reflective and a little introspective. His answers always give an insight into the team chemistry and his approach and feelings about most topics.

One of the more telling quotes from the interviews he gave was to Nick Angstadt and Isaac Harris of Locked On Mavs:

“I just know that I feel even more motivation when people are talking shit about him [Luka] just because I feel the need to protect him. And I know what that feels like to be in the hot seat. And he is the franchise guy. He got drafted here. He’s a max player. He’s a superstar in the world, and he’s done a great job of leading this team without me being here. So there’s a lot of responsibility.”

There’s two points in this quote worth diving into. The first one is the most obvious: Kyrie feels a need to protect Luka.

The relationship and chemistry they have built over the last year and a half is really showing up right now, and this quote makes it clear that Kyrie feels very protective of Luka the way an older brother would. Kyrie has been in Luka’s position, he knows exactly what it takes and what it takes out of you to live with that kind of pressure every day. And just like in a family, that makes him feel protective of his younger brother and co-star.

A relationship that started a little awkward has blossomed into a deep friendship. Both Luka and Kyrie have talked about how the trip last preseason to Abu Dhabi and Madrid was a bonding experience, leading to great chemistry between the two – and the rest of the team. And after that trip there was no more talk about whether the duo could play together anymore, because they showed as much every night.

As the months passed, the duo produced the most watched NBA clip last season, chemistry grew and trust was built.

That stuff spreads to the rest of the team, and as always, you get what you put out in the world. And with the positivity those two approached last season, they made the whole group believe. Chemistry doesn’t come from nothing. Someone has to start it, nurture it and keep it alive, even when things get tough, and Kyrie and Luka together seem to have been a big part of that.

The second interesting part of the quote by Kyrie on Media Day is how Kyrie said that Luka has “done a great job of leading this team without me being here. So there’s a lot of responsibility.”

“Without me being here”. It sounds to me like Kyrie is insinuating that the time of Luka leading this team without him is over.

“So there’s a lot of responsibility”. Kind of cements that theory.

No matter what Kyrie really meant by the last part, there’s no question he is all in in Dallas. This is not the talk of a guy halfway in LA, as some like to speculate, or a guy who isn’t fully bought in.

This whole quote shows a lot of accountability and brotherhood. If you feel a need to protect your teammates, they are family to you. And if your team is family, like really family and not just something you say, this just got serious. Would you take a bullet for your family? Have their backs at all times? That’s what it takes to win, and that’s why the Mavericks have a real shot at winning a title this season.

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