Former Duke Blue Devils star Kyrie Irving was seen back at the school, hanging out with Mike Krzyzewski and Jayson Tatum.
The Duke Blue Devils have seen all sorts of talent come through the basketball program over the years.
Duke has been one of the more historic programs in the country, being a blueblood school through and through. The Blue Devils are one of the few teams in college basketball that expect a title every single season, and without one, the year becomes a failure.
But one of the more special players to don the Duke uniform only played one season, specifically, only 11 games. That would be former Blue Devil point guard Kyrie Irving, who has turned into one of the best guards in the NBA over his career.
Irving was recently seen back at Duke, hanging out with former head coach Mike Krzyzewski and forward Jayson Tatum. The bond between players at Duke is a strong one, and Irving remains a big part of the Blue Devils' history.
At Duke, Irving averaged 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the three-point line. Irving suffered a toe injury nine games into his freshman season, sidelining him for months.
But he was able to return for the NCAA Tournament, helping the Blue Devils get to the Sweet Sixteen. Duke lost to Arizona that season, with Irving scoring 28 points in the tournament finale for the Blue Devils.
Irving left Duke for the NBA, becoming the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers took Irving, giving them their first post-LeBron James-era superstar to build around.
But Irving eventually played alongside James in Cleveland after he returned a few years later. The two would lead the Cavaliers to four straight NBA Finals, winning the city of Cleveland a title in 2016.
Irving's go-ahead three-point shot in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals still lives in infamy. Many people see it as one of the best moments in NBA history, helping the Cavaliers take down the 73-9 record-setting Golden State Warriors.
After 2016, Irving and the Cavaliers' relationship strained a little, with Irving asking for a trade. Cleveland sent him to the Boston Celtics, where he teamed up with Tatum for a short period.
Eventually, Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets, where he played a few seasons. His time in Brooklyn was mixed, with different off-the-court incidents taking place.
The Nets traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks after three and a half years.
Irving has been with the Mavericks since 2023, leading the franchise to the NBA Finals in 2024. Dallas lost to the Celtics, but Irving has remained committed to helping the Mavericks return to glory.
The star guard suffered a torn ACL during the 2024-25 season, forcing him to miss all of last year. But Irving has now been on track to make a full recovery for the upcoming NBA season.
