"Checkmate atheists"- NBA fans react to 19-year-old Luka Doncic jokingly agreeing with Kyrie Irving over Earth being flat  

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving seem to have had a full-circle moment after making the finals as teammates. The Mavericks duo were once seemingly in agreement over Irving's controversial theory about the Earth being flat, which took the NBA World and everyone beyond by storm.

"This is not even a conspiracy. The Earth is flat. The Earth is flat. The Earth is flat," Irving said in an appearance on "The Road Trippin'" podcast in 2017. "All these things that particular groups, I won't even pinpoint one group, that they almost offer up this education. ... They lie to us."

Fans mocked Irving for his theory, and it's often attached to him for the rest of his career. It went to an extent where Irving eventually apologized for his belief after several science teachers called him out on it.

However, Doncic supported his claim jokingly as a 19-year-old rookie. He said that during an interview with one of his then Summer League teammates, Mitchell Creek, in July 2018.

"I'll go with Kyrie. I'll say flat."

With the Mavericks making the 2024 NBA Finals led by the Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving tandem, fans resurfaced this moment from the former on Reddit.

The NBA community pointed out hilarious conspiracy theories about the viral moment as one fan made a joke about Doncic and Irving's "2D" belief, writing:

"2D + 2D = 4D, Checkmate atheists"

Another said the six-year-old video is why the Mavericks are in the finals with Doncic and Irving:

"This one 5 second video explains our entire finals run"

One fan joked about Kyrie Irving envisioning his future in Dallas after seeing Luka Doncic's response back then.

"The earth may be 2D to him, but Kyrie’s been playing 4D chess on it this whole time."

A fan commented on the similar lines, saying:

"It’s what happens after you open your third eye"

A fan expressed shock at the finals contest being against Boston, Kyrie Irving's former team.

"Specifically against Boston too. That Kyrie is a goddamn wizard"

One fan jokingly called out Luka Doncic for fringing with NBA's rules, saying:

"Tampering!"

Here's the video that resurfaced on Reddit:

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Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's budding chemistry keys to Mavericks success

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have seemingly meshed well on and off the court after a rough ending to the 2022-23 season following the latter's trade deadline day addition. The Mavericks went from playoff hopefuls to out of the play-in tournament as they lacked the time to get Doncic and Irving on the same page on the floor.

However, the 2023-24 season has been different. With a full training camp and season under their belts, with a much better-supporting cast that suits their skill sets, Doncic and Irving have shut down their critics. They are now being regarded as potentially the best backcourt ever or the most clutch backcourt of all time behind their 2024 playoff exploits.

The rare one-two punch as players with more or less similar skillsets offensively has made their partnership lethal against the league's top defensive teams. Their ability to attack defenses at different times and not give them a chance to rest has proved critical to their run.

The Mavs will hope the two keep up that efficiency in the finals against arguably the best five-man defensive lineup in the league.