Back to the ACC Newsfeed

Kobe passing the torch to Kyrie?

While Kobe Bryant is considered amongst the greatest basketball players of all-time, Kyrie Irving feels lucky to consider him a great friend.

INDEPENDENCE— During the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Kyrie Irving was but a shell of himself.

Physically, left knee tendinitis and a right foot strain wouldn’t permit him to be the dominant player he’d become over his first four seasons.

Irving’s mindset, however, proved to be far more hurtful than the pain in his legs.

“I was in a terrible mental space knowing I couldn’t be as effective as I wanted to be,” Irving said.