Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving has long been questioned due to his lack of assist numbers, and his struggles on the defensive end. After knocking down the clinching shot in game seven of the NBA Finals, a lot of that criticism has gone out the window. That has been a relief for Irving, the three-time All-Star tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com:
“Yes, my life’s changed drastically,” Irving told cleveland.com Saturday, during Irving’s friendship walk and basketball challenge downtown for Best Buddies, Ohio — an organization that gives social growth and employment opportunities to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“It’s kind of, you’re waiting for that validation from everyone, I guess, to be considered one of the top players in the league at the highest stage,” Irving said. “That kind of changed. I was just trying to earn everyone’s respect as much as I could.”
Irving’s shot — a contested three-pointer off the dribble with 53 seconds left — was vital to the Cavs winning their first championship in franchise history.
After playing with Team USA this summer, Irving joined LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen on an exclusive list of players to win an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same summer.