Hard Work and Dedication: Irving’s Obsession on the Practice Floor

Many think Irving’s handle is pure gift, but those who know him know: it is trained. From childhood gym sessions with his father to becoming the No. 1 pick, Irving’s obsession with training borders on addiction.

As a kid, Drederick set the rule: master the fundamentals before the flash. In driveways and community gyms, Kyrie repeated crossover, behind-the-back, pull-up countless times. As a pro, the habit only grew; teammates call him "first in, last out."

His training centers on "touch." Social media is full of Irving drills: blindfold dribbling, two balls at different rhythms, slaloming through tight cones. These "performance" moves are extreme refinement of hand-eye coordination and feel. Irving said: "Handle is not talent; it is something you are willing to repeat ten thousand times a day."

His jumper rose from grind too. Before winning the 2014 Three-Point Contest he took oceans of threes in the offseason; the 2016 dagger was the release of those thousand pull-ups as muscle memory.

Worth noting is his learning attitude. He studies vast old-school film — from Oscar Robertson to George Gervin — and is even obsessed with streetball and overseas techniques. He fuses different schools into his own move library, the root of his "ambidextrous" game.

Of course, Irving’s career carries off-court controversy, but his dedication to training and games is league-acknowledged. That obsession kept him elite past 30 and fueled his career-high 60 points vs Orlando in 2022.

Related Reading

• The Art of the Handle: Why Irving Is Called the Handle Master
• Hard Work and Transformation: Two Decades From "Soft" to Tough
• Hard Work and Discipline: Iverson’s Underrated Training Ethic
• Grind and Evolution: From No Jump Shot to a Mid-Range Game
• Hard Work and Reinvention: From Sixth Man to On-Ball Hub