Description
Nicknamed the "Isolation Assassin," Irving has earned the distinction as the most incredible isolation player in the league, outperforming rivals such as Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook with his crossover dribble, drives to the basket, stop-and-go moves, and smooth, feathery jumpers, a distinction borne out, moreover, by his championship-clinching shot against Curry's Golden State Warriors in 2016. Yet while he speaks of maximizing his talent, he has shown reluctance to maximize the production of his teammates by passing the ball, as well as his overall defense. Irving expresses his desire to win championships yet demanded a trade away from the franchise best suited to deliver him a second.
Off the court there is no one like Irving either. An educated individual who claims that the earth could be flat and that dinosaurs perhaps never existed, Irving is a man of puzzling contradictions who seeks self-actualization and contentment through a variety of pursuits, including reflection, music, and acting. Gitlin, a veteran writer who has followed Irving's career from the beginning, has much to tell about one of the most mysterious and sensational athletes of our time whose appeal transcends his sport.
About the Author
Martin Gitlin is a veteran sportswriter who worked for seven years at CBSSports.com. He has won more than forty-five awards as a newspaper journalist, including first place for general excellence in journalism from the Associated Press. Gitlin is the author of more than 150 books, including The Greatest College Football Rivalries of All Time, Powerful Moments in Sports: The Most Significant Sporting Events in American History, and The 100 Greatest American Athletes.
Reviews
Veteran sportswriter Marty Gitlin provides an entertaining look at Kyrie Irving, an enigma who is simultaneously a product of one of the nation's top universities and a Flat Earther, a conspiracy theorist and a basketball genius, an all-time Cleveland sports hero and one of its bigger villains."" - Bill Livingston, columnist for the Plain Dealer
Book Information
ISBN 9781496213495
Author Martin Gitlin
Format Hardback
Page Count 224
Imprint University of Nebraska Press
Publisher University of Nebraska Press