Kyrie Irving admits he misses playing with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant: "All of them pushed me to be better"

Kyrie Irving admits he misses playing with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant: “All of them pushed me to be better” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

From the day he entered the league 14 seasons ago, there was something different about Kyrie Irving.

Yes, his style heavily resembled Allen Iverson, but watch a little longer and you’ll see Kobe Bryant in him, then Hakeem Olajuwon. It’s like he took the best from every legend and added it to his own game, because there really isn’t a thing on a basketball court Kyrie can’t do.

He has a complete offensive bag and as such, he’s always pushed his teams into contending positions. It must be said that he was also a part of some fantastic teams throughout his career.

The Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James and Kevin Love, the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Durant and James Harden and most recently, the Dallas Mavericks with Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson.

Those teammates impacted him

Irving spoke on his Twitch channel about how much those teammates impacted him during his career.

“Each one of them brings something unique to the table, but they all pushed me to be better, you know” Irving said.

“They’ve, in their own ways, inspired me to continue to work on my craft at a high level. Specifically, Bron and KD. Obviously Kobe is No. 1 for me on that board of being inspired, but Bron, KD, J-Kidd, Vince Carter, Tim Duncan, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon — just guys that I could think of off the top of my head,” he stated.

“Yeah, there were a lot of guys that really inspired me, some of the greatest of all time on your team. I don’t take it for granted. Ever. Not one second that I take it for granted. I wish I could win it with everybody on a high level. I think the greatest lesson I learned is you gotta love who you playing with,” Irving added.

Irving witnessed firsthand what it’s like to share the court with Durant

You really can’t expect anything else from a player like Irving. He spoke with the utmost respect for each of his teammates and being a true student of the game, he used his time both on and off the court to absorb the best from everyone and add it to his own game.

However, when you look at his resume, Irving only won the title with LeBron — thanks to that iconic Game 7 three-pointer over Stephen Curry.

Still, even though he only won with James, Irving pointed to Kevin Durant as the best teammate he’s ever played with. The Nets didn’t manage to win a title with the two of them, due to various off-court circumstances, but Irving witnessed firsthand what it’s like to share the court with Durant.

“I will say this,” Irving stated. “The 7/11 duo of me and KD will never be topped in terms of just being on the court with somebody that special. So, let me get that disclaimer out. Let me get that disclaimer. I’ve played with a lot of great players, but playing with KD — that was OD. One of the best of all-time.”

Kyrie gave a public thank you to every teammate

That statement shouldn’t surprise anyone or be taken as a shot at LeBron, because Kyrie will always speak with full respect about him. Irving and Durant have always had a similar mentality — two regular guys obsessed with basketball to a heavenly degree.

Because of that, it was easy for them to build chemistry on the court. Real hoopers recognize each other. But even without that, with this statement, Irving practically gave a public thank you to every teammate he’s ever shared the court with, fully aware that without them, he wouldn’t be who he is today, despite all the flair he brings to the game.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.

Kyrie Irving admits he misses playing with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant: “All of them pushed me to be better”

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