Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving Misses Mentor Kobe Bryant, Reveals Goal Inspired By Him

Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving spoke about missing his mentor Kobe Bryant every day, but remains inspired by what he taught him as the NBA Finals approach.

January 13, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) controls the ball against the defense of Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — Many players looked up to Kobe Bryant's legacy, using his example as something to strive to become in their basketball journey. Kyrie Irving built a relationship with Bryant, where mentorship became a valuable element of his life, extending beyond what happens on the basketball court and how he can become an even greater player.

As the NBA Finals nears, Irving acknowledged that he misses his mentor in Bryant. “I don’t know if anyone here has ever lost a mentor or someone older who meant something to them," he said. "Even if you didn’t talk every day, there was still that connection that they would always be there for you. It wasn’t just him; it was his family as well. They supported me unconditionally, and I miss him every single day, just like the rest of the world and all the Kobe supporters."

May 30, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Irving shared some of the inspiration he found in Bryant, between the ability to leverage his presence on and off the court, powering through fatigue, and how he navigated off-court life. "He held such a big presence and knew his superpowers weren’t just on the court but in how he approached life," he said. "He inspired you to do extra even when you got tired. His life lessons transcended basketball, any sport, or entertainment business.

The 32-year-old superstar has helped guide the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA Finals appearance and is set to compete against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 on Thursday. Irving has thrived next to Luka Doncic as a superstar team on a tough defensive squad. Like Bryant, Irving has many young players who look up to him and are inspired by his masterful skill, which Irving understands he must help pass on to the next generation of players, similar to how Bryant showed him.

"He sparked new ideas for the next generation to carry the torch. That’s what he was teaching me: to carry the torch and know how to pass it along," Irving said.

When discussing Bryant's legacy, Irving also revealed his goal of winning multiple championships. Irving is set to compete in his fourth NBA Finals and won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. "Along that journey, he won a few championships that I still admire and am still chasing to a certain degree. I want to sit at that table and say I have multiple championships in the best league in the world," he said.

While keeping the end goal in mind, Irving emphasized the value Bryant found in the journey to reaching such a milestone, which he tried to follow. Not getting caught up in how they

"But in the small dose of truth, he always reminded me to enjoy the journey because the journey is the reward. He put it in perspective: billions of people will love you, and billions won’t," Irving said. "So, you should stick to your guns and go with the people who support you through and through. Make them proud and make yourself proud."

After Bryant's passing in 2020, Irving still feels his presence in spirit and is grateful to have learned from him. He reminisces on the time he had the chance to compete against him one-on-one and directly learn from him. However, the value of life beyond just basketball is something Irving credits Bryant for helping him to get passionate about and find his formula.

"Every day, he walks with me in spirit. I feel his presence daily, and I’m grateful I got to know someone like him," Irving said. "I got a chance to challenge him one-on-one and pick his brain. He taught me that there are bigger things than just basketball, like women’s empowerment and selflessly helping the world. He helped many people without anyone’s praise. I try to follow in that lineage and create my own path, my own formula for success, while also commemorating the formula he gave me.”

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