With Kyrie Irving back, joy has returned to Dallas

Can basketball make you happier?

There’s only a few times in life, maybe a handful if you’re lucky, where the elation of the moment transforms into pure joy. The birth of a child. The time you won the national championship as a teenager. That time when you hiked Mount Shasta and felt the euphoria of life rushing through you.

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For some of us, that includes the wonderful spring of 2024 when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks all the way through the playoffs to the Finals.

Before the playoffs that year, people said the Mavs weren’t good enough. They said Kyrie was washed, that he was a locker room cancer. They said Luka was too fat, too injured, too bad on defense. They said the roster couldn’t compete with the best. But we proved them all wrong. We went almost all the way. All we needed was another year.

The beautiful thing about fandom and sports is that we get to belong somewhere, to something bigger than us. We made it, we proved them wrong. We just needed another year.

DALLAS, TX – MAY 26: Kyrie Irving #11 embraces Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 26, 2024 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Well, none of us touched that court, none of us made a basket, none of us led the league in scoring. But we played our part, we all tell ourselves and smile, because we know that a fanbase can affect the energy of a team. And the energy of a team can affect winning directly.

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Kyrie Irving felt that energy. Do you think he would have stuck around and settled in Dallas the way he has if he didn’t feel welcomed and appreciated? From staff and leadership to the players and all the way to the fanbase. Do you think Kyrie Irving would have stayed…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kyrie-irving-back-joy-returned-133100561.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-25 13:31:00

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