Late last month, Dallas Mavericks star point guard Kyrie Irving quipped about his post-retirement coaching prospects. A few weeks later, Milwaukee Bucks star point guard Damian Lillard caught wind of Irving's comments and concurred via a comical two-word reaction.
Over the years, numerous elite NBA point guards have transitioned to coaching, including Dallas coach Jason Kidd. However, according to Irving, he's unlikely to follow suit.
Following a Mavericks practice ahead of the season, Irving was asked if he "is gonna be a coach once (he) retires." The 2016 NBA champion highlighted how his lack of punctuality might prevent him from doing so, noting that he prefers a laxer schedule.
"Yeah, I don't know if I'm going to coach at this level, man. I'm more of a consultant-type. Like, I make my own hours," Irving said. "If you know my personality, you know I'm not trying to be forced to do anything, man. So, if you're telling me I've got to show up at 9 a.m., I'm like, 'Maybe 9:08 or something like that.'"
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On Sunday, Lillard shared a clip of Irving's answer to his Instagram stories. In his caption, the eight-time All-Star humorously agreed.
"Type s**t, Kyrie Irving," Lillard wrote, followed by a series of laughing emojis.
So, it doesn't look like coaching is in the cards for either star point guard.
Kyrie Irving on his post-retirement plans
While Kyrie Irving appears disinterested in becoming an NBA coach, he still plans to aid the next generation of hoopers.
After jokingly dismissing his coaching prospects, the eight-time All-Star touched on his hopes to start a high-quality basketball academy post-retirement.
"Once I'm done, I'll definitely have one of the best academies of all time," Irving said. "You know, skills training, mental, spiritual, emotional, and just bringing a lot of the experts, not only in the game of basketball but in different fields.
"Just bringing a lot of youth together, lot of the young old heads (and) old heads, bringing them back, making sure I'm paying homage to the legends," he continued.
Irving expressed optimism about his aspirations, saying, "After basketball is going to be so much fun." Nevertheless, he noted that, in the meantime, he will continue enjoying the remainder of his NBA career.
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