Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving revealed the motivation behind his hot start in Game 1 of their Western Conference Finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, May 21.
The 32-year-old sat down with the TNT crew post-game, featuring Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and guest Daymond Green.
"I used it as motivation. When I was sitting at home and I saw it, and I was like, 'this is a nod of respect.' And also, I knew what type of game it was going to be. Game 1, and for us, the rest of this series," the eight-time NBA All-Star told the crew.
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Edwards infamously called out Irving in the post-game interview following their Game 7 win, which eliminated the defending champions Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals.
"My matchup's gonna be Kyrie, so that's gonna be fun. We're gonna see what I can do versus him," the 22-year-old said last Sunday, May 19.
Kyrie Irving doubles down on Anthony Edwards quote in post-game press conference
Edwards' callout didn't offend Irving; instead, he saw it as a sign of respect and admired the Timberwolves star's fearless attitude.
"As a peer, I love that. It's nothing better. When Ant was a little younger, I'm sure he was watching me. When he was in high school, I was watching him. It's more of those exciting matchups that I look forward to," Irving told the media in the post-game press conference.
Irving scored 30 points, with 24 coming in the first half on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, as the Mavericks secured a nail-biting 108-105 win at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
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