Kyrie Irving
Encyclopedia
Kyrie Andrew Irving is an Australian-American
professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). He starred as point guard for Duke University
as a freshman before being selected as the number one pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
by the Cleveland Cavaliers
. Irving was born in Melbourne, grew up in New Jersey, and holds dual Australian/American citizenship.
his freshman and sophomore years, where he averaged 26.5 points, 10.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 steals and became only the school's 2nd 1,000 point scorer, before transferring to St. Patrick. While at St. Patrick High School
, Irving played with Michael Gilchrist
, who was widely regarded as one of the best players in the class of 2010. On January 20, 2010, it was announced that Irving was selected to the 2010 Junior National Select Team. The team played at the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit
at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon
, on April 10. He was also selected to play in the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game
and the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic
, where he was named as co-mvp with Harrison Barnes
. In June 2010 Irving was a part of the gold medal winning team at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Irving was the #2 player in the class of 2010 by Scout.com
, #3 player in the ESPNU
100, and rated as the #4 player by Rivals.com
.
on October 22, 2009, in a television broadcast on ESPNU
. Irving started playing with Duke in the 2010–11 basketball season under the guidance of head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He led the team in scoring at 17.4 points per game on 53.2% shooting through the first eight games of the season. In addition, he added 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as he quickly began to make his case for NCAA Freshman of the Year.
In Duke's 8th game of the season, Irving suffered a severe ligament injury in his right big toe that sidelined him indefinitely. His right foot was placed in a cast on December 10, 2010. The cast was removed on February 4, 2011, and Irving began rehab.
On March 17, the day before Duke played Hampton in the first round of the NCAA tournament, it was revealed that Kyrie would return for his first game since Dec. 4th. It was announced that he would come off of the bench and play limited minutes.
Duke lost to Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen. Irving scored 28 points in what turned out to be his last game for Duke.
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Duke
| 11 || 11 || 27.5 || .529 || .462 || .901 || 3.4 || 4.3 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 17.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 11 || 11 || 27.5 || .529 || .462 || .901 || 3.4 || 4.3 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 17.5
where he was the number 1 pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers
.
He signed an agent in early May 2011.
, Victoria
, Australia
where his father, Drederick Irving, played professional basketball for the Bulleen Boomers
. Irving subsequently lived in Australia before relocating to the United States at the age of 2. He has dual citizenship in the United States and Australia and has recently expressed interest in representing the Australian National Team
. Irving's mother, Elizabeth, died from an illness when he was four, so his father Drederick raised him with the help of Kyrie's aunts. Irving has made a promise to his father that he would finish his bachelor's degree
at Duke in the next five years in the summers during the offseason.
Australian American
An Australian American is a citizen of the United States who identifies with an Australian national background. This can include people of European, Asian, African or Pacific Islander backgrounds.-History:...
professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). He starred as point guard for Duke University
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
as a freshman before being selected as the number one pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. Irving was born in Melbourne, grew up in New Jersey, and holds dual Australian/American citizenship.
High school career
Irving played for Montclair Kimberley AcademyMontclair Kimberley Academy
Montclair Kimberley Academy, abbreviated "MKA", is a private coeducational day school located in Montclair, New Jersey, serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. Thomas W. Nammack became the school's fourth Headmaster in July 2005...
his freshman and sophomore years, where he averaged 26.5 points, 10.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 steals and became only the school's 2nd 1,000 point scorer, before transferring to St. Patrick. While at St. Patrick High School
St. Patrick High School (New Jersey)
St. Patrick High School Academy is a co-educational four-year Catholic high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark...
, Irving played with Michael Gilchrist
Michael Gilchrist
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is an American college basketball player at the University of Kentucky.-High school career:In high school, he was considered one of the best basketball players in the United States. He was rated as the #3 player by ESPN.com, and Rivals.com, and Scout.com rated him as the #1...
, who was widely regarded as one of the best players in the class of 2010. On January 20, 2010, it was announced that Irving was selected to the 2010 Junior National Select Team. The team played at the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit
Nike Hoop Summit
The Nike Hoop Summit is a basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, held once a year, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select team of international players. The players demonstrate their skills and hope to attract attention from either NBA scouts or...
at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, on April 10. He was also selected to play in the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game
2010 McDonald's All-American Boys Game
The 2010 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game played on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. The game's rosters featured the best and most highly-recruited high school boys graduating in 2010...
and the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic
Jordan Brand Classic
The Jordan Brand Classic, presented by Foot Locker is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly-recruited high school boys in the senior class. The 2011 game will mark the 10th anniversary of the Jordan Brand Classic.The...
, where he was named as co-mvp with Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes
Harrison Bryce-Jordan Barnes is an American college basketball player. He is a sophomore at North Carolina and was one of the top rated basketball players in the class of 2010. Barnes is sometimes known by the nickname "Black Falcon."...
. In June 2010 Irving was a part of the gold medal winning team at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Irving was the #2 player in the class of 2010 by Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
, #3 player in the ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
100, and rated as the #4 player by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
.
College career
Irving committed to DukeDuke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
on October 22, 2009, in a television broadcast on ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
. Irving started playing with Duke in the 2010–11 basketball season under the guidance of head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He led the team in scoring at 17.4 points per game on 53.2% shooting through the first eight games of the season. In addition, he added 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as he quickly began to make his case for NCAA Freshman of the Year.
In Duke's 8th game of the season, Irving suffered a severe ligament injury in his right big toe that sidelined him indefinitely. His right foot was placed in a cast on December 10, 2010. The cast was removed on February 4, 2011, and Irving began rehab.
On March 17, the day before Duke played Hampton in the first round of the NCAA tournament, it was revealed that Kyrie would return for his first game since Dec. 4th. It was announced that he would come off of the bench and play limited minutes.
Duke lost to Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen. Irving scored 28 points in what turned out to be his last game for Duke.
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
| 11 || 11 || 27.5 || .529 || .462 || .901 || 3.4 || 4.3 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 17.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 11 || 11 || 27.5 || .529 || .462 || .901 || 3.4 || 4.3 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 17.5
Professional career
Irving announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of eligibility and enter the 2011 NBA Draft2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
where he was the number 1 pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
.
He signed an agent in early May 2011.
Personal life
Irving was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
where his father, Drederick Irving, played professional basketball for the Bulleen Boomers
Bulleen Boomers
-History:The Bulleen Templestowe Basketball Club was established in 1969 and after missing out in 1983 was accepted into the Women's National Basketball League, WNBL, in 1984. Applications were prepared and presented by Jan Collinson, who remained the club’s delegate to the League for many years...
. Irving subsequently lived in Australia before relocating to the United States at the age of 2. He has dual citizenship in the United States and Australia and has recently expressed interest in representing the Australian National Team
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
. Irving's mother, Elizabeth, died from an illness when he was four, so his father Drederick raised him with the help of Kyrie's aunts. Irving has made a promise to his father that he would finish his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
at Duke in the next five years in the summers during the offseason.
Awards and honors
- 2010 McDonald's All-American2010 McDonald's All-American Boys GameThe 2010 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game played on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. The game's rosters featured the best and most highly-recruited high school boys graduating in 2010...
team selection - 2010 Nike Hoop Summit All-American team selection
- 2010 Jordan Brand High School All-American team selection
- 2011 NBA Draft 1st Overall Draft Pick