Kyrie Irving

“I don’t play for the fame or money, I play for the game and for my fans.”  These are the words of my everyday hero.  A hero to me is someone who is inspiring and shows determination. Kyrie Irving is a perfect example of my definition of a hero. I look up to him because I feel like we have something in common. He is considered short for being in the NBA, and I am not the tallest person either, but I work hard at basketball and always try to do my best like he does. I see Kyrie as a superhero because he never quits, and he is the person that motivates me to play basketball and pushes me to past my limits.

Kyrie Irving is a man who can finish the job even when he breaks his face. When Kyrie’s teammate, Aron Baynes, broke his face, Kyrie came back the next game and scored thirty points against the New York Knicks with a face mask. Another example is when Kyrie was playing and sprained his ankle and still scored, which won the Cavs the game and got him rookie of the year. Kyrie is the kind of person determined to practice and push himself past his limits, even if it is something that makes him super uncomfortable. Even when he is hurt, he still wants to be there for his team. His perseverance has led his team to many wins and led his team to NBA championships. Kyrie might be pretty small for the NBA, but people treat him like he is the tallest player on the court, and some even fear him because he can control the ball with a great amount of speed. Kyrie is always showing that you can throw any challenge at him and he will get back on his feet like nothing ever happened.  

A broken face twice and an injured knee are all challenges that Kyrie has had to face. None of these have stopped Kyrie from his determination to play basketball -- if anything they push him to practice more and train more so he is prepared for the next time something like this happens. Kyrie will not let anything stop him from playing basketball, and that is what the idea of Uncle Drew is. Kyrie plays the character Uncle Drew in the movie with the same title. It is about an old retired man who used to be the best in the world. Uncle Drew tells us that as long as Kyrie is able to play basketball, he will; it is his life, his job, and what he wakes up for. This is my inspiration.

Kyrie said, “No alarm clock needed. My passion wakes me up!” Kyrie was always able to practice more and had better training than others when he was growing up because his dad was a former college player. As of February 12, 2019, Kyrie plays for the Boston Celtics, which is one step above his dad. Kyrie would practice any time he could because his dad pushed him to train so much. For his whole life, Kyrie had the dream of being in the NBA, and at the young age of 18, his dream came true when he was a first round draft pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  

Kyrie is my hero because he perseveres through every challenge that he has faced. So many people look up to him because he is very interesting to watch and has his own ball handling style. For the past three years Kyrie has been my hero. Watching him play was my comfort when I was new to Charlotte. My interest for basketball grew because his unique style drew my attention in. Kyrie has shown me that it is okay to fail and that failing is just a part of getting better.