Kyrie Irving has the best handle in the NBA - possibly best ever


Kyrie Irving won the NBA Handle of the Year Award, and for good reason. Stephen Curry, James Harden and Chris Paul are all great ball-handlers, but none of them can do what Irving does with the rock.


Kyrie not only is the best ball-handler in the League right now, he may be the best ever. I have characterized his dribbling as jackhammer-like, and his crossover is elite. And he is just plain quick.


Earl Monroe had various nicknames during his high school, college and pro careers - Black Jesus, Earl the Pearl and Thomas Edison (for inventing new moves) are a few of them. While Kyrie is described as seemingly having the ball on a string, I remember one announcer remarking that it looked like the ball was attached to Monroe's hands with a rubber band. Earl was very good, but Kyrie does it better. You be the judge.



There are other retired players, such as Pete Maravich and Magic Johnson, that could handle the ball with precision and trickery, but neither had the quickness of Irving, and they didn't embarrass defenders as well, or leave them in the dust like Kyrie does. He is exceptional.


Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

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