Dallas Maverick guard and injured vet and mentor for a host of young NBA players, Kyrie Irving, talked to fans last week after the game against the Sacramento Kings. He urged younger players to use all the opportunities afforded to them through basketball to help their community and make a difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are going to remember the impact you made on them and the legacy you left as a person,\u201d Irving said to the group of fans assembled after the game, some in Kings jerseys, all there to listen to and meet the vet.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt costs nothing to be kind. It costs nothing to be nice to people. It\u2019s always good to be a good person and show up for others and show up for yourself,\u201d he continued, making clear that basketball is just what brought this group together but to Irving, there\u2019s much more to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is just what it\u2019s about for me. Being in front of \u2026 strangers, but now I feel like you\u2019re part of the tribe. So this is honestly why I do what I do,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n
In Dallas, Irving has become known for helping people behind the scenes, donating to gofundme campaigns<\/a>, helping to pay<\/a> for a fan\u2019s wheelchair-accessible van, covering costs for medical bills for others in need, and so much more – just google it. All done discreetly, usually only shared by the beneficiaries.<\/p>\n And then apparently – as Mavericks assistant coach Phil Handy is insinuating in the video – he has been arranging these meet-and-greets after games. Nothing major, small gatherings of people with special interests or fans who want to thank him, tell him their stories or talk to him. Like this gathering one year ago, when he spent a long time after a late game speaking with each member of the Native American community in Dallas Fort Worth.<\/p>\n \u201cHe means everything to us, showing children there\u2019s hope, representation,\u201d the leader said.<\/p>\n Despite being in the know about a lot of stuff that goes on around the Mavericks, these meetings and donations are only on my radar because attendees share videos or their experiences on social media. To my knowledge, there\u2019s been no announcements and very little press releases (if any) through his almost three years in Dallas. This suggests that these small acts of kindness are at least as meaningful to Kyrie Irving as basketball. Maybe more.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m injured right now but basketball is universal, so I\u2019m still connected to what we got going on (with the Dallas Mavericks). And, yeah man, this feels good.\u201d<\/p>\n You can tell that he\u2019s referring to the small gathering of people in Sacramento, earnestly listening to him, chatting and taking pictures afterward.<\/p>\n \u201cOne opportunity can change your life. One conversation can change your life,\u201d he said, smiling at the group. \u201cIt\u2019s all about mindset. How you approach your life every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Irving seems adamant to stress the fact that how we treat each other and how we act can be a powerful tool to create change. This is not the first time we\u2019ve heard him say something to this effect.<\/p>\n And he made it clear that he has bigger expectations for the next generation than what his own generation accomplished when it comes to this aspect of life and basketball.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to see the youth show up. I want them to use basketball as a better vehicle than we used it. There\u2019s more opportunities that you can have and that basketball affords you,\u201d he said, urging the younger players to take their responsibility seriously.<\/p>\n Mavericks assistant coach Phil Handy, who has known Irving from back when both were with the Cleveland Cavaliers, also had a few words to say about Kyrie Irving from his own point of view, about the kind of person he has become.<\/p>\n \u201cHe arranges all of this,\u201d Handy said, gesturing to the group of people lining up to meet their favorite player:<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody loves his basketball acumen. I love him as a human. The person that he has become. He\u2019s an incredible person.\u201d<\/p>\n