Kyrie Irving opens up on heartwarming off-court relationship with Luka Doncic

The Dallas Mavericks took a big swing when they traded Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and a handful of draft picks to bring Kyrie Irving to Texas. The bold move seems to have panned out well for the Mavs. Pairing Irving with Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic has created arguably the most dangerous backcourt partnership in the NBA.

Irving and Doncic have great chemistry on the court and have also developed a close friendship off of it. On Tuesday, Kyrie Irving shared some heartwarming words about their close connection and how the relationship has progressed over the last two years:

"Yeah people get annoying. I annoy him too. We just spend a lot of time off the court just enjoying each other’s presence. Our families getting to know each other."

Irving eadded:

"We annoy each other when the wine gets going, start telling jokes, and he starts bringing up how he beat me when I was in Brooklyn, and just all the extra memories and stuff like that. Annoying is part of friendship and part of brotherhood."

Irving and Doncic have been the pillars of Jason Kidd's high-flying offense. Last season, the Mavericks ranked third in the Western Conference in points per game, averaging 117.9. The All-Star duo combined for 51.0 ppg and 13.2 apg over the regular season.

The Mavs' productivity has dropped off slightly this season, but a big part of that is due to Doncic's calf strain that has seen him miss 18 games.

With Doncic sidelined, Dallas has turned to Irving to take on a bigger role. Over the first half of the campaign, the eight-time All-Star is averaging 24.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.9 apg and 1.2 spg.

Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were instrumental in leading the Mavericks to their first NBA finals since 2011

Dallas Mavericks guards Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic against the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center. Photo Credit: Imagn

Due to a series of injuries and off court issues, Kyrie Irving played just 143 games with the Brooklyn Nets over four season prior to joining the Mavericks. The decision to bring him to Dallas, however, seems to have paid off for the franchise, with the Mavs making their first NBA finals appearance in 13 years last year.

Guard Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were key figures in the Mavericks' memorable playoff run that saw them overcome a talented LA Clippers roster, followed by a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-led OKC Thunder team.

Doncic and Irving were outstanding in the Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, combining for 59.4 ppg, 13.2 rpg and 12.8 apg. They both averaged over 40 minutes per game, and were clutch during critical stages of the series.

The 4-1 series win over the Timberwolves saw the Mavericks clinch their first NBA finals berth since 2011. It was just the third time in franchise history the organization reached the finals.