Former Nuggets Star Gets Honest About Kyrie Irving

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is one of the most talented players in the NBA
Former Nuggets Star Gets Honest About Kyrie Irving
Former Nuggets Star Gets Honest About Kyrie Irving /

During a recent episode of the Late Night Lake Show podcast, former Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets star Nick Van Exel joined the show to discuss several different topics. Amongst these was a ranking of Van Exel's top playmakers in the NBA, which included several of the expected names, but also a special shoutout for Kyrie Irving who is often included on different lists.

More of a scorer than a playmaker, Irving often pops up in "most skilled" conversations, and Van Exel broke down on this episode why he's simply just one of the most gifted guards in the game, even if he doesn't belong on the list of best playmakers in the NBA.

"I think Kyrie is just a gifted scorer, like he can score with the best of them, so I'm not gonna put him in there with those [playmakers] right now," Van Exel said.

While Van Exel didn't include Irving on his list that included Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, and Trae Young, he told a story about one of his first times coaching against the Dallas Mavericks guard.

"When I first got into the league coaching, when I was in Atlanta, my first time I'm like Kyrie bullsh-tting. Like Kyrie is just bullsh-tting with the game. Like this is so easy for him."

Van Exel played 13 years in the NBA, including four with the Denver Nuggets.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.