Kyrie Irving

March 23, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Kyrie Irving, born on March 23, 1992, comes from a family of four and has had achievements falling into his lap without him even trying. Irving’s road to fame began in New Jersey, where he was a high school basketball star before playing for Duke University. He later played for Cleveland Cavaliers and was featured in Pepsi Max’s commercials as Uncle Drew. He owns the Kyrie1, a Nike signature shoe, and currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets. A star like this deserves to be celebrated on his special day, and we will help you celebrate him right here.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Kyrie Andrew Irving

Nickname:

Kai, Uncle Drew, Kyriediculous, Ankletaker

Birth date:

March 23, 1992

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Aries

Height:

6' 2"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$90 million

Background

Kyrie Irving, son of Elizabeth and Drederick Irving, was born in Melbourne, Australia, and holds dual American-Australian citizenship. His mother passed away when he was four due to organ failure, and his father was left to take care of him and his sister, Asia. More than a father, Drederick was Irving’s basketball coach, and he taught him a lesson that remains with him to this day, and that is that “You are going to have to work hard for what you want.”

With his father teaching him to stand out from the crowd, Irving put this to practice first in high school in New Jersey, where he became the star of basketball in the whole school. He went on to play for Duke University as a point guard and served them a 31-point performance before suffering a foot injury that left him inactive but was good enough to get him selected by Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving won Rookie of the Year in 2012 before giving the Cavaliers their first championship in franchise history in 2016. Between these two years, Irving was endorsed by Pepsi Max to play Uncle Drew in their commercials, and two years later, Nike gave him his Nike signature shoe, the Kyrie1. He then joined Boston Celtics but shortly left for Brooklyn Nets, signing a $142 million deal, where he still proved why he was worth the investment.

Our N.B.A. star has a daughter, Azurie Elizabeth, with his ex Andrea Wilson and a son, Kaire, with his wife, Marlene Wilkerson. Besides the N.B.A. limelight, Irving founded KAI11 Consulting, which focuses on assisting underrepresented entrepreneurs and black and women-owned businesses. They also contributed $500,000 to a black-owned commercial trucking company.

Career timeline

2012

He Inks a Deal With Pepsi Max

Kyrie plays Uncle Drew in one of Pepsi's commercials, from which he gets one of his nicknames.

2013

He Earns an All-Star Selection

With his top-of-the-game skills, Irving is honored seven times.

2014

He Signs a Deal With Nike

Irving secures the Kyrie1, his very own signature shoe.

2016

He Makes History

Irving makes a three-pointer win, which gives the Cavaliers their first championship in franchise history.

2018

His Debut Movie Role

Irving stars as himself in a film titled "Uncle Drew," which tells the story of his life.

Why We Love Kyrie Irving

He is a generous man
Helping those who are in need and showing your support always goes a long way. Irving took it upon himself to donate a home to George Floyd's family following the unfortunate event of his death, and gave nine students at Lincoln University an opportunity to receive an education by paying for their tuition fees.
He stands for what is right
People in the limelight tend to get arrogant at times, but Irving teaches us to be good human beings, regardless of our status in life. He stood up for his ex-girlfriend, Kehlani, after haters took it upon themselves to bash her after accusations of her cheating on the N.B.A. player. There was a protest in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and Irving donated 17 palettes of food to those who were protesting for what was right.
He is a leader at heart
Irving shows us how it's crucial in life to make your own decisions but acknowledge when you have made a misguided decision. Growing up, his father would tell him he needed to "stand out from the group" and not follow it. Irving is known to have opinions contrary to popular belief, like when he stressed that the Earth is flat, and he stands by his judgment unless proven wrong by sound evidence. He knows when to stand out and when to fall back, and when he stands out, it's usually for what he believes is right.

5 Surprising Facts

He has many talents
Irving has a passion for dancing and singing, and he plays the baritone saxophone too.
His first choice
Growing up, he aspired to be a journalist, and if all else fails or eventually ends, he might still take that up.
He featured in “High School Musical”
Irving enjoys being in the spotlight, even if it's outside of sports, which may be why he chose to feature in this movie.
He dribbled using plastic bags
Irving would train with his hands wrapped to learn how to improve his grip on the ball.
He started young
At age four, Irving could already make a basket and by six years, he knew how to set a left-handed lay-up.

Kyrie Irving FAQs

Was Kyrie Irving cheated on by Kehlani?

According to Irving, Kehlani “did not cheat or intentionally hurt me,” what she did was justified and had to do with personal relations between the couple.