Kyrie Irving talks to father, uses old advice from Kobe Bryant to improve shooting recently

Additionally, Irving highlighted the need to focus on the nuances of his shot that the average basketball fan may not identify, whether needing to land with proper balance or using proper guide hand placement on the ball. “There were times when I wasn’t landing on balance, and it’s little things that probably the common fan wouldn’t see, but those who appreciate hoop culture can, and those who appreciate my game can see some of the nuances of where my rhythm was a little off,” Irving said. “Sometimes, it could be the guide hand just staying on the ball a little bit more or floating left or floating right.” -via Sports Illustrated / November 11, 2023

He was referring to when Rodman said during an interview with VLAD TV in September that he and Buss dated for six months, which at the time didn’t sit well with his Lakers teammates, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. “I mean yes, in other words, when my dad [former Lakers owner Jerry Buss] brought on Dennis Rodman to the team it was kind of like, ‘Let’s make sure that we know where he is at all times,’” Buss said, seemingly referring to Rodman’s reputation for being a notorious partier. -via New York Post / November 10, 2023

“So, if it’s about, ‘Hey where are you gonna be tonight? OK, we’re all going to this restaurant, or we’re going to this club, or we’re going to this beach, or we’re going to wherever Dennis is going to be.’ “You could say it was dating to say that it was making sure that I had an eye on him.” Buss made it sound more like a babysitting job than a romance with Rodman. However, he recalled it differently. Rodman brought up Buss when DJ Vlad asked him what it was like playing with Bryant and Shaq on the Lakers in comparison to playing with Michael Jordan on the Bulls. “It was hard because I knew the fact that Kobe and Shaq wouldn’t like me,” Rodman said. “I know because I saw Jerry Buss; he loved me. I used to date his daughter. -via New York Post / November 10, 2023

Irving says that in years past he might have dwelled on his uncharacteristic 43.3% shooting from the field and 24.1% from 3-point range but not now, co-leading with Luka Doncic one of the surprise teams of the young NBA season. “I feel like that’s kind of a cop out,” Irving said of emphasizing individual statistics. “The focus is really on our team wins, our team camaraderie — and how do I make sure I get the best out of my teammates every single night, despite what I’m doing out there scoring-wise.” -via Dallas Morning News / November 10, 2023

NBA Central: Kyrie Irving recently made a $50K donation to Mari Copeny, who is actively working to provide the Flint, Michigan community with access to clean and safe water (Via gofundme.com/f/little-miss-…) pic.twitter.com/GEOlkVEHBM -via Twitter @TheNBACentral / November 10, 2023