Damian Lillard reveals Kyrie Irving's dominant secret weapon

When people think of the best point guards in the NBA, two of the first players that will come to mind are Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard. The two have had iconic moments in the NBA for over a decade.

Both Irving and Lillard are talented players and are tough players to play against. And game recognizes game when they see it.

In a recent podcast, Lillard revealed a secret as to what makes Irving so difficult to play against, and for another elite point guard to say something about Irving is a big deal.

Kyrie Irving is unstoppable when he's hot and playing with rhythm

Lillard sat down on the Club 520 Podcast, and named Irving as his toughest matchup to guard one-on-one. First, it was Donovan Mitchell saying Irving was his toughest opponent to guard, now it's Lillard saying Irving is his toughest opponent to guard one-on-one. For Irving to have another All-Star give him high praise is huge for him and it shows that he is still one of the elite point guards in the NBA at the age of 32 years old.

"You can guard him perfect, he will still make it," Lillard said. "Either hand, bumping him, fouling [him], he [going] to do it when it don't look like it's hard too."

Irving has been tough to guard because of his abilities with ball-handling, and his clutch gene for fourth-quarter shots. Some NBA players only have the ability to shoot with one hand effectively, but Irving has the ability to shoot with both. Irving hit a buzzer-beater with his left hand over Nikola Jokic to win a game in March 2024. Despite his dominant hand being his right, Irving showed off his lefty skills. Tim Hardaway Jr.'s face when Irving hit the buzzer beater said it all about Irving's talent.

"That can turn into him making every shot," Lillard said.

One-on-one play is helpful to make a player dominant, and Irving has the ability to match up with the player he wants at the exact time he wants them. Irving getting into his rhythm one-on-one helps his confidence grow to make him unstoppable. When Irving gets hot, it's hard to stop him.

With two All-Stars praising Irving, it can add more confidence to his game after his first full season with the Dallas Mavericks. Irving averaged 25.6 points per game, and with All-Stars praising him, it can fuel him to have a better season with Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson on board.

Irving's game is getting heralded often after a great year last season, and now this is the time for Irving to back up all this praise. Dallas looks to be the perfect place for Irving, and he'll be hungry to help bring the Mavs back to the Finals in 2025, but this time win it.