Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving is being compared to Michael Jordan by former NBA player Jeff Teague. Teague believes that if Irving were 6-foot-6, he would be the best NBA player ever.
What did Jeff Teague say?
Teague said, "I feel like if Kyrie Irving was 6-foot-6, I know we say that about a lot of people, but if he was 6-foot-6, he would've been the best NBA player ever, he would've been better than Michael Jordan."
Why the comparison to Michael Jordan?
Irving has long been regarded as one of the most gifted and creative basketball players in NBA history, with elite ball-handling, two-handed finishing, and legendary clutch shot-making.
The Dallas Mavericks recently won 149-128 against the Chicago Bulls on 2026-04-13, and are on a 2-game winning run, with a recent form of 2W-0D-3L.
What makes Kyrie Irving special?
Irving is equally lethal using either his right or left hand, and when he is healthy, he completes complex layups, floaters, and acrobatic circus shots, even in crowded paint traffic, just like Jordan in his prime.
Irving has built a Hall of Fame-worthy NBA resume, headlined by an NBA Championship in 2016, nine All-Star selections, and three All-NBA nods across his tenures with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Dallas Mavericks.
What's next for Kyrie Irving?
Irving missed the entire 2025-26 NBA season after suffering a torn left ACL in March 2025, but he has fully recovered during the subsequent offseason, positioning him to return for the start of the 2026-27 season.
On the other hand, Jordan won six NBA championships, 6 Finals MVPs, and 5 regular season MVPs. Teague added that comparing Irving to Jordan could be controversial, but he believes comparing him to Kobe Bryant would be an easy debate for the Mavericks star to win.
Teague said, "He would've been better than Kobe if he was 6-foot-6, there's nothing he can't do, he dribbles better than everybody, he shoots just as good as everybody, he finishes at the rim just as good as everybody."
Kyrie Irving is aware of how good he is on the court, and while streaming, he told NBA fans what he thinks of his game, saying, "Y'all will never see another player like me, I'm cut from a different cloth."
The highlights showed Irving's unmatched skills to get to his spots on the court, his vision, and his shot-making. While his success as the main guy has not been impressive, Irving has left this generation in awe of his individual abilities.
Irving again has a chance to show he still has it next season, as he is now fully recovered from his injury and is expected to boost the Mavericks, which have built their roster around Cooper Flagg.
