Tristan Thompson believes Kyrie Irving is one physical trait away from entering the greatest-of-all-time conversation.
Appearing on Club Shay Shay, Thompson praised his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate by arguing that if Irving were two inches taller, he would be “the best player to ever touch a basketball on planet Earth.” While clearly a hypothetical, Thompson’s comments highlighted the skill set that has made Irving one of the NBA’s most gifted offensive players over the past decade.
“If Kyrie Irving was two inches taller, he’d be the best player to ever touch a basketball on planet Earth,” Thompson said, via HoopsHype. “Have you ever seen Kyrie Irving get a shot blocked? Never. And he’s only what, 6’2, 6’3. But imagine he was 6’5… it would be otherworldly. Even if you ask LeBron James, Kyrie Irving is probably the most talented. If you put Kyrie Irving in a workout, he could do anything. He has no flaws in his game.”
Thompson and Irving spent six seasons together in Cleveland, reaching three consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 through 2017 and winning the franchise’s first championship in 2016. Irving’s shot over Stephen Curry in Game 7 remains one of the defining moments in Cavaliers history.
Irving’s career statistics help explain why teammates continue to rave about his offensive talent. Across 779 regular-season games, the nine-time All-Star has averaged 23.7 points, 5.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 47.4% from the field, 39.4% from three-point range and 88.8% from the free-throw line. His combination of elite ball handling, finishing with either hand and perimeter shooting has consistently placed him among the league’s most efficient high-volume scoring guards.
His peak scoring years came between 2019 and 2023. Irving averaged 27.4 points in both the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons and posted 27.1 points after being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks during the 2022-23 campaign. In 2020-21, he also recorded one of the most efficient offensive seasons of his career, shooting 50.6% from the field, 40.2% from beyond the arc and 92.2% from the foul line while averaging 26.9 points.
More recently, Irving remained one of Dallas’ top offensive options before suffering a torn ACL. During the 2024-25 season, he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists while making 40.1% of his three-point attempts and 91.6% of his free throws over 50 games.
The injury forced Irving to miss the entire 2025-26 season, but he is expected to return for the 2026-27 campaign.
