Don't you dare call Kyrie Irving great.
"Not even close," says the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar, who at 21 is already one of the NBA's premier point guards. "To achieve greatness, you have to do it on a consistent basis for years and years. I'm still trying to work my way up to it."
Irving may not consider himself elite yet, but that hasn't stopped others from believing it. The Cavs bet on Irving's greatness when they selected the Duke product with their #1 overall draft pick in 2011. Sports writers and fans endorsed it when Irving was voted Rookie of the Year in 2012 and an All-Star in 2013. And Foot Locker confirmed it when the shoe store picked the third-year player to star in its new commercial touting 7 days of exclusive sneaker releases--a.k.a. the "Week of Greatness." (Sorry, Kyrie: "Week of Very Goodness" doesn't have quite the same ring.)
In addition to today's debut of the Foot Locker spot, Irving's face also graces the cover of the hotly anticipated NBA Live 14, which hits stores Friday. And of course, there's still a day job to tend to: Irving and the 4-7 Cavs face the rival Washington Wizards tomorrow night in Cleveland.
A schedule that jam-packed could mess with any man's mind, but Irving craves the grind: "My work is always going," he says. Here, in a rare moment of downtime, Irving reveals a few of his favorite things:
ALL-TIME STARTING FIVE IN A PICKUP GAME:
"Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Magic Johnson. Actually, maybe Isiah Thomas, too. I'm kind of biased about Isiah. He's always been my guy."
DREAM JOB AFTER BASKETBALL:
"I'd probably be in acting, honestly. Or doing something behind the camera. I just enjoy having an imagination that goes beyond my years, and kind of putting it on film or being a part of something that's created by someone. Getting in that creative mindset is a dream for me."
GO-TO KARAOKE SONG:
"I'm not really a singer, but I can hold a tune here and there. I have such an eclectic taste in music that I have so many favorite songs. Like ‘Bad Intentions,' by Niykee Heaton. It's not out yet, but you should look out for it."
FAVORITE ALBUM OF 2013:
"John Legend's Love in the Future. He really brought back the old-school R&B feel from the 1990s, when they used a lot of instruments. His beats are really good. I grew up with this. I kind of got into classical and rock music when I got older, but right now it's just old-school R&B."
LATE-NIGHT HUNGER CURE:
"My favorite meal is mac and cheese. I'm not really a big cook, but when I'm in desperate need or I'm really, really hungry, I'll cook it myself."
MOST INSPIRING READ:
"It's an excerpt from Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: the 10,000-hour rule. Do 10,000 hours of practice really make you an expert in whatever you're doing? Yeah, I think so. I know I've logged more than 10,000 hours, so I'd consider it true."
DVR STAPLE:
"Family Guy. It's just everything, from the flashbacks to the historic jokes that some people don't even get."
CHRISTMAS WISH:
"As cliché as it sounds, I just want my family to be there. That's it. I don't get to see them as often as I like, but as long as we're all together on Christmas, that's what I want. And I'm actually going to be home this year, so they get to spend Christmas in Cleveland with me. That's the only thing that matters to me."
MOVIE THAT BRINGS THE WATERWORKS:
"Toy Story 3. As a kid, I grew up on Toy Story. No matter if it's a character who dies or if it's someone who's about to die . . . it's like, ‘aah!' I cried a little bit."
THE BEST ADVICE EVER:
"My dad taught me two things: Never let basketball define you, and use basketball--don't let basketball use you."
ESSENTIAL APP:
"Vine. Now that the season has started, I don't really Vine much. But I watch a lot of them every day."
HIDDEN TALENT:
"I used to play the saxophone. I played the intro to Pirates of the Caribbean all the time. But when I shot my ‘Uncle Drew' commercial for Pepsi, I busted it out again, and I was terrible. I'm never picking it up again."
HIGHLIGHT OF LIVING IN CLEVELAND:
"The downtown. I love seeing the change that's happening here, and being a part of it. Cleveland isn't as bad as people perceive it to be. We have a great casino that our owner [Dan Gilbert] owns, and we're just doing great things here."
FAVORITE VACATION:
"This year I went to Africa with UNICEF and Basketball Without Borders. I really learned what's going on over there, and did everything I could to help. I donated not only my time, but also money to help different hospitals and schools. And I had fun with the kids. It was an eye-opening experience without a doubt. It was the best trip."
RESOLUTION FOR 2014:
"I'd just like to improve my consistency on and off the floor--as a person, leading my guys, and staying true to myself no matter what. And there are different vices I keep to myself that I have to change."
RELATED VIDEO
Powered by WPeMatico
No comments:
Post a Comment