with other draftees
Cleveland Cavaliers (2011–2017) 2011–2012: Rookie of the Year Irving announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of eligibility and enter the
2011 NBA draft, where Irving was selected with the
first overall pick by the
Cleveland Cavaliers. He was named to the 2012
Rising Stars Challenge, where he played for Team
Chuck. Irving scored 34 points in the game, going 8-of-8 from
three-point range, and earned MVP honors. He also won the 2012
NBA Rookie of the Year Award with 117 of a possible 120 first-place votes. Irving was the only unanimous selection to the
NBA All-Rookie First Team. For the
season, he averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 assists and shot 46.9% from the field, including 39.9% on three-pointers.
2012–2013: First All-Star appearance While practicing with the Cavaliers in the
NBA Summer League on July 14, 2012, Irving sustained a broken right hand after reportedly slapping it against a padded wall after committing a turnover. "I am a little disappointed," he said. "I have to be more responsible about my health. It was just crazy. It happened so fast." At the start of the
2012–2013 NBA season, Irving injured his index finger in a loss to the
Dallas Mavericks. He played in the Cavaliers' next game, but the injury forced Irving to miss three weeks of action. In his second game back, while donning a black protective face mask to protect a broken bone he suffered against
Milwaukee, Irving scored his then-career-high 41 points against the
New York Knicks. He became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in
Madison Square Garden; Irving was a year younger than
Michael Jordan, who did it in 1985. The coaches selected Irving to play in his first
All-Star game. Irving finished with 15 points, four assists, and three rebounds. He also participated in the
Rising Stars Challenge again, scoring 32 points for Team Shaq in a losing effort. Irving participated in the
Three-Point Contest and recorded 23 points in the final round to win the event. He ended his second season with averages of 22.5 points, 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.
2013–2014: All-Star Game MVP Fans chose Irving to be the starting point guard for the Eastern Conference in the 2014 NBA All-Star game. He was the All-Star game MVP, recording 31 points and 14 assists as the East beat the West 163–155. On February 28, 2014, Irving recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 99–79 victory over the Utah Jazz. This was also the Cavaliers' first triple-double since March 16, 2010. On April 5, 2014, Irving recorded a then career-high 44 points in a 96–94 overtime loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. He averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on the season.
2014–2015: Big Three formation and first NBA Finals vs the
Dallas Mavericks in 2014 On July 10, 2014, Irving signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Cavaliers. His contract extension came in the wake of
LeBron James's return to Cleveland and
Kevin Love's trade request from Minnesota, as the trio teamed up to start a new "Big Three" in Cleveland. After a shaky start to the season, where they fell to a 5–7 record after a November 22 loss to Toronto, the Cavaliers went on an eight-game winning streak, where Irving averaged 19.3 points per game, including a 37-point game against the New York Knicks on December 4. After their streak-ending loss on December 11 to Oklahoma City, the Cavaliers went on to win just five more games in December, finishing 2014 at 18–14. All of the new Big Three missed time during December, contributing to the team's inconsistency and mediocre play. The Cavaliers began their 2015 schedule on January 2 as they snapped a three-game losing streak with Irving's help. He scored 23 points, and with Love's 27, the Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 91–87. The next game against Dallas two days later, was a season low for Irving, who scored just six points before leaving in the third quarter with lower back tightness; the Cavaliers lost 109–90. Irving missed the following game against Philadelphia, before returning to action on January 7 against Houston to tie a then first-half career high of 23 points. He finished the game with a then season-high 38 points, but could not lead the Cavaliers to a win as they lost 105–93, the team's seventh loss in nine games. in 2015 After a six-game losing streak between January 4 and 13 dropped the Cavaliers to 19–20, Irving and James led them on a 12-game winning streak to bring them back into contention. During the streak, Irving averaged 24.5 points per game, including a then career-high 55 points on January 28 against Portland. On March 12, 2015, Irving scored a career-high 57 points, including a buzzer-beating three-point shot to send the Cavaliers into overtime, in a 128–125 victory over the
San Antonio Spurs. It was the most points for a player in a regular-season game against the defending champion since January 14, 1962, when
Wilt Chamberlain scored 62 points for the
Philadelphia Warriors in a loss to the
Boston Celtics. The effort also surpassed the Cavaliers' franchise single-game scoring mark of 56 points, set by LeBron James against the
Toronto Raptors on March 3, 2005. Irving helped the Cavaliers win 34 of their final 43 games to finish the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 53–29 record. In his first career playoff game on April 19, Irving scored 30 points in a 113–100 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup. He went on to help the Cavaliers reach the
NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history despite missing two games in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks with a knee injury. After leaving Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the
Golden State Warriors in the overtime period with a knee injury, Irving was ruled out for the rest of the series the following day with a fractured left kneecap that required surgery, sidelining him for three to four months. The Cavaliers eventually lost the series in six games despite a 2–1 lead.
2015–2016: NBA championship On August 27, 2015, Irving was ruled unlikely to be ready for opening night of the 2015–16 season due to the left kneecap fracture he suffered in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving made his season debut on December 20, scoring 12 points in 17 minutes as a starter against the
Philadelphia 76ers. On January 6, he scored a season-high 32 points in a 121–115 victory over the Washington Wizards. On February 8, Irving tied his season high of 32 points and tied his career high of 12 assists in a 120–100 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Two days later, Irving topped his season high mark with 35 points in a 120–111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. in Cleveland The Cavaliers finished the regular season as the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 57–25 record. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons, and in a Game 1 win on April 17, Irving scored a playoff career-high 31 points. He tied that mark with another 31-point game in Game 4 of the series, helping the Cavaliers sweep the Pistons. The Cavaliers went on to breeze through the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 12–2 record to reach the
2016 NBA Finals, where they faced Golden State for the second straight year. Irving struggled with his shot in his debut Finals game, going 7-of-22 from the field for 26 points, as the Cavaliers were defeated 104–89 in Game 1. Facing a 3–1 deficit following a Game 4 loss, Irving and
LeBron James took over in Game 5, each scoring 41 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 112–97 victory, forcing a Game 6. Irving and James became the first teammates to each score 40 points in an NBA Finals game. In Game 7, Irving hit a three-pointer with 53 seconds left in the game that propelled the Cavaliers to a 92–89 lead and an eventual 93–89 victory. The Cavaliers won the series 4–3 and became the first team to rally from a 3–1 Finals deficit, ending a
52-year major sports championship drought in Cleveland.
2016–2017: Back-to-back chase On October 25, 2016, after receiving his first championship ring prior to the season opener, Irving scored a game-high 29 points in a 117–88 victory over the
New York Knicks. Three days later, he scored 26 points and hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 44.3 seconds remaining to lift the Cavaliers to a 94–91 victory over the
Toronto Raptors. On November 27, Irving scored 19 of his then-season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter of the Cavaliers' 112–108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. On December 5, he had a career-high 10th straight game with at least 20 points, finishing with 24 points in a 116–112 victory over the Toronto Raptors. On December 21, Irving had 31 points and a career-high 13 assists in a 113–102 victory over the
Milwaukee Bucks. On January 23, 2017, he scored 35 of his season-high 49 points in the second half of the Cavaliers' narrow 124–122 loss to the
New Orleans Pelicans—their fifth loss in seven games. On February 1, Irving set a new career high with 14 assists in a 125–97 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves. On March 3, he had a 43-point effort in a 135–130 win over the
Atlanta Hawks. In the game, the Cavaliers set the NBA regular-season record with 25 three-pointers. On March 19, Irving had a 46-point effort in a 125–120 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers. On April 9, he had a 45-point effort in a narrow 126–125 overtime loss to Atlanta. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the
Boston Celtics, Irving scored a playoff career-high 42 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 112–99 victory, taking a 3–1 lead in the series. With 24 points in Game 5 of the series, he helped the Cavaliers defeat the Celtics 135–102 to claim their third straight Eastern Conference title and a return trip to the NBA Finals. After going down 3–0 in the
2017 NBA Finals, Irving scored 40 points in Game 4 to help Cleveland extend the series and avoid a sweep with a 137–116 victory over the
Golden State Warriors. However, the Cavaliers went on to lose to the Warriors in Game 5, losing the series 4–1.
Boston Celtics (2017–2019) 2017–2018: Season-ending injury In July 2017, Irving requested the Cavaliers to trade him, reportedly wanting to be more of the focal point of his own team instead of continuing to play alongside
LeBron James. The following month, on August 22, he was traded to the
Boston Celtics in exchange for
Isaiah Thomas,
Jae Crowder,
Ante Žižić, and the rights to the
Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round draft pick (that ultimately turned into
Collin Sexton). Eight days later, the Celtics agreed to send the Cavaliers a 2020 second-round draft pick via the
Miami Heat to complete the trade, as compensation for Thomas' failed physical. In his debut for the Celtics in their season opener against the Cavaliers on October 17, 2017, Irving had 22 points and 10 assists in a 102–99 loss. He had a chance to tie it with a three-pointer at the buzzer but missed. On October 30, Irving scored 24 points for the third straight game in helping the Celtics beat the
San Antonio Spurs 108–94. It was the Celtics' first victory against the Spurs since 2011. Irving's 128 points in his first six games as a Celtic were the most since
Kevin Garnett and
Ray Allen each had 131 in 2007. On November 6, 2017, Irving scored 35 points in a 110–107 victory over the
Atlanta Hawks, recording his first 30-point game as a Celtic while scoring more points (245) than any player in his first 11 games with Boston. With the win over Atlanta, the Celtics improved to 9–2 with nine straight wins, setting their longest winning streak in seven years. The streak ended at 16 games with a loss to the
Miami Heat two days later. On January 21, 2018, Irving scored 40 points in a 103–95 loss to the
Orlando Magic. The Celtics had accumulated a 34–10 record by mid-January, but their loss to Orlando was their season-worst third straight defeat. On January 27, he scored 37 points on 13-for-18 shooting with five three-pointers in a 109–105 loss to the
Golden State Warriors. On February 28, Irving helped the Celtics improve to 4–0 following the All-Star break with a 134–106 victory over the
Charlotte Hornets. Irving led Boston with 34 points, making 13 of 18 shots overall and going 4-for-6 from three-point range in the first three quarters. On March 24, he was ruled out for three to six weeks after undergoing a minimally-invasive procedure to remove a tension wire in his left knee. Less than two weeks later, Irving was ruled out for the entire postseason, with a recovery time of four to five months, after another procedure was scheduled to remove two screws from his patella that were inserted in 2015 to repair a fracture he suffered during that year's NBA Finals. Without Irving, Boston would reach the Conference Finals, before losing to his former team, the Cavaliers, in seven games. in October 2017
2018–2019: All-NBA Second Team selection In the Celtics' season opener on October 16, Irving played in his first game since March and had seven points and seven assists in a 105–87 victory over the
Philadelphia 76ers. Irving missed his first nine attempts from the field and did not score until finally connecting on a pair of
free throws early in the third quarter. On October 30, after averaging 14 points through the first six games, he scored 31 points in a 108–105 victory over the
Detroit Pistons. On November 8, Irving scored 18 of his then-season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Celtics' 116–109 victory over the
Phoenix Suns. On November 16, he recorded a season-high 43 points and 11 assists in a 123–116 overtime victory over the
Toronto Raptors. It marked Irving's first ever game scoring at least 40 points with 10 or more assists, and became the first Celtics player to do so since
Antoine Walker in 2001. On December 12, Irving scored 38 points in a 130–125 overtime victory over the
Washington Wizards. On December 25, he recorded 40 points and 10 rebounds in a 121–114 overtime win over the 76ers. On December 29, he scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half of the Celtics' 112–103 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies. Irving's 13 assists matched his season best and was one short of his career high. On January 16, 2019, Irving recorded 27 points and a career-high 18 assists in a 117–108 victory over the Raptors. On January 21, Irving had a career-high eight steals in a 107–99 win over the
Miami Heat. Five days later, he recorded 32 points and 10 assists in a 115–111 loss to the
Golden State Warriors. It was Irving's 11th double-double with points and assists, becoming the first Celtic with 11 of that kind of double-double since
Larry Bird in 1986–87. It was also Irving's sixth straight game with at least 25 points, matching the longest such streak in his career. On March 14, he recorded his second career triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 126–120 victory over the
Sacramento Kings, becoming the first Celtics player to record 30-plus points and a triple-double in the same game since
Rajon Rondo in February 2012. Two days later, Irving had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 129–120 win over the
Atlanta Hawks. In his first playoff game as a Celtic, Irving became just third player in franchise history (joining
Isaiah Thomas in 2015 and
Jo Jo White in 1972) to have 20-plus points, five-plus assists and five-plus rebounds in his postseason debut with the team, helping Boston defeat the
Indiana Pacers 84–74 in game one of their first-round series. In Game 2 of the series, Irving scored 37 points in a 99–91 victory. In Game 1 of the second round, Irving had 26 points and a playoff career high-tying 11 assists in a 112–90 victory over the
Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics would lose the next four games and the series to the Bucks.
Brooklyn Nets (2019–2023) 2019–2020: Debut and injury On July 7, 2019, Irving signed with the
Brooklyn Nets in free agency on a four-year, $136.5 million contract. On October 23, 2019, he debuted for the Nets with 50 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a 127–126 overtime loss to the
Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50 points or more in a team debut. Irving became the seventh player in franchise history to score 50 points or more in a single game, and joins
Stephon Marbury (2001) as the only one to also record 15 combined rebounds and assists. Irving also scored 25 of the Nets' 56 points in the first half. Irving missed 26 games due to a right shoulder injury, and returned on January 12, 2020, scoring 21 points on a 10-of-11 shooting in the 108–86 victory over the
Atlanta Hawks. On January 25, he scored 45 points, also recording six rebounds and seven assists, to lead Brooklyn to a 121–111 overtime victory over the
Detroit Pistons. The next day, the Nets were scheduled to play the
New York Knicks at
Madison Square Garden, but Irving left the arena prior to tip-off upon learning of the
death of Kobe Bryant. On January 31, Irving scored a season-high 54 points on 19-of-23 shooting in a 133–118 victory over the
Chicago Bulls. On February 20, it was announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery on his injured shoulder.
2020–2021: 50–40–90 season In the Nets' season opener on December 22, Irving had 25 points, four assists, and four rebounds in a 125–99 victory over the
Golden State Warriors. Three days later, he had 37 points and eight assists in a 123–95 victory over his former team, the
Boston Celtics. On February 18, 2021, Irving was named an Eastern Conference starter for the
2021 NBA All-Star Game, his seventh selection. On May 6, Irving had a season-high 45 points in a 113–109 loss to the
Dallas Mavericks. At the end of the regular season, he became the ninth player in NBA history to join the
50–40–90 club, representing the
shooting percentages from the field (.506), the three-point line (.402), and the free throw line (.922). Irving also became only the fourth player to average over 25.0 points, while making the 50–40–90 club, the others being
Stephen Curry,
Kevin Durant, and
Larry Bird. Irving sprained his right ankle after landing on
Giannis Antetokounmpo's foot during Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals against the
Milwaukee Bucks, and missed Game 5. The Nets lost the series in seven games.
2021–2022: Playoff disappointment On October 12, 2021, the Nets' general manager
Sean Marks announced that Irving would be ineligible to play or practice with the team, due to the New York City
COVID-19 vaccine mandate, until being vaccinated. Despite remaining unvaccinated, on December 17, following a large number of players lost to injuries and health and safety protocols, as well as an inordinate minutes load on
Kevin Durant and
James Harden, the Nets announced that Irving would return to the team as a part-time player for games outside of the New York area and
Toronto. On January 5, 2022, Irving made his season debut, recording 22 points, three rebounds, and four assists, on 9-of-17 shooting in 31 minutes in a 129–121 victory over the
Indiana Pacers. It was speculated that Irving was originally on the
NBA 75th Anniversary Team which was announced on October 21, 2021, as the Brooklyn Nets prematurely posted an announcement congratulating him on the achievement, but was later excluded, allegedly due to the ongoing vaccine mandate controversy. Former teammate LeBron James later said, "Damn shame he ain’t Top 75!", as did
Andre Iguodola, "So y'all saying Kyrie Irving ain't top 75? I agree… he top 20 at least…" in Twitter posts. Irving himself, sports commentators, and fans criticized the exclusion due to Irving's already illustrious career at the time of the list. On February 26, 2022, Irving scored a then season-high 38 points with five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in a 126–123 victory over the reigning champions
Milwaukee Bucks. In February 2022, New York City mayor
Eric Adams announced that the city would be lifting its vaccine requirement for indoor activities on March 7. However, Irving remained subject to a different workplace vaccine mandate that remained in place. In a public statement, Adams said that making a specific exemption for Irving would "send the wrong message" to other people employed in the city. On March 8, Irving scored a then season-high 50 points on 15-of-19 shooting from the field and delivered six assists in a 132–121 win over the
Charlotte Hornets. He became only the second guard in NBA history (after
Michael Jordan) who would have multiple 50-point games while shooting 75 percent from the floor. A week later, Irving scored 41 of his career-high and Nets franchise-record 60 points in the first half, grabbed six rebounds, delivered four assists along with four steals on 20-of-31 shooting from the field, including eight three-pointers, in a 150–108 victory over the
Orlando Magic. On March 23, Mayor Adams announced that the city would be relaxing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, allowing Irving to play at the Barclays Center. On March 27, Irving made his home debut against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 16 points in 41 minutes, in a 119–110 loss. On April 12, Irving, in his first play-in appearance, scored 34 points and dished out 12 assists in a 115–108 victory over the
Cleveland Cavaliers to secure the #7 seed in the playoffs. In Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Irving scored a game-high 39 points along with five rebounds, six assists, and 4 steals in a narrow 115–114 loss to the
Boston Celtics. He was fined $50,000 on April 19 for
middle finger gestures and profane language to fans in Boston during that game. Brooklyn would go on to lose to Boston in four games, and Irving was swept for the first time in his career.
2022–2023: Trade request Following the end of the 2021–22 season, there was speculation that Irving would decline his player option and pursue a sign-and-trade deal with another team. Irving ultimately opted into his $37 million player option, returning to the Nets for the
2022–23 NBA season. On November 3, 2022, the Nets suspended Irving for at least five NBA games due to his failure to "unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs" and said that he is "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets." On December 16, Irving scored 32 points and put up a game-winning three-pointer in a 119–116 victory over the
Toronto Raptors. In the next game, he scored 38 points, helping the Nets overcome a 17-point halftime deficit in a 124–121 victory over the
Detroit Pistons. On January 20, 2023, Irving scored a season-high 48 points, including a season-high eight 3-pointers, along with 11 rebounds, six assists, and four steals in a 117–106 victory over the
Utah Jazz. In the next game, Irving recorded 38 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists in a 120–116 victory over the reigning champions
Golden State Warriors. On January 26, Irving was named an
Eastern Conference starter for the
2023 NBA All-Star Game, his eighth selection and sixth as a starter. On February 4, it was reported that Irving had requested a trade; the request was made after talks about a new contract with the Nets did not go to his liking.
Dallas Mavericks (2023–2025) 2023: Debut and playoff miss On February 6, 2023, the Nets traded Irving, along with
Markieff Morris, to the
Dallas Mavericks, in exchange for
Dorian Finney-Smith,
Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029. On February 8, Irving made his Mavericks debut, putting up 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists in a 110–104 victory over the
Los Angeles Clippers. On March 2, Irving scored 40 points on 15-of-22 shooting from the field, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc in a 133–126 victory over the
Philadelphia 76ers. In the same game his teammate
Luka Dončić scored 42 points and it was the first time in Dallas franchise history that two players scored 40 points in the same game. Irving was re-signed to a three-year, $126 million contract on July 7, 2023.
2023–2024: Renaissance season and fourth Finals appearance On January 11, 2024, Irving scored 44 points and delivered 10 assists in a 128–124 win over the
New York Knicks. On March 17, Irving put up 24 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and a game-winning left-handed floater in a 107–105 victory over the
defending champion Denver Nuggets. This game-winner was a record 21-foot floater, for the longest game-winning hook shot ever recorded. On April 7, Irving scored a season-high 48 points in a 147–136 overtime victory over the
Houston Rockets. Irving finished the regular season just shy of a repeat of the
50–40–90 season he recorded in 2021, with a 49.7% field goal percentage, only 0.3% short of the mark, combined with qualifying 41.1% three-point and 90.5% free throw percentages. On May 30, in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the
Minnesota Timberwolves, Irving scored 36 points, along with four rebounds and five assists, to help Dallas close the series with a 124–103 victory as the Mavericks advanced to the
NBA Finals for the first time since
2011, where they would face Irving's former team, the
Boston Celtics. Outside of a 35-point outing in Game 3, Irving struggled mightily throughout the Finals, averaging just sixteen points per game in the other four matchups, as Dallas would lose in five games. Sportswriters declared the season to be a "renaissance", "revival", and "redemption" of Irving's career, with the veteran player having performances and statistics in the highest caliber of the league once again.
2024–26: Luka Dončić trade and ACL tear On February 1, 2025,
Luka Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for
Anthony Davis. On February 10, Irving was named an injury replacement for the
2025 NBA All-Star Game, his ninth All-Star selection. On March 3, Irving
tore his ACL in the first quarter against the
Sacramento Kings, ending his season, and also putting into question his availability for the 2025–26 season. On July 6, 2025, Irving re-signed with the Mavericks on a three-year, $119 million contract. On February 18, 2026, Irving was ruled out for the remainder of the season as he continued to recover from the ACL injury. ==National team career==