Indiana Pacers star T.J. McConnell names Kyrie Irving as the toughest player to guard

Kyrie Irving is widely considered one of the most talented players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history and is a future Hall of Famer, thanks to his stellar performances throughout his career.

Irving is arguably the best ball-handler in NBA history and, despite his smaller stature, is able to shoot from nearly impossible positions. Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell, who played a key role in their recent run to the NBA Finals, appeared on the Christian Kuntz Podcast, where he revealed that the 33-year-old is almost impossible to guard.

“Who’s the hardest guy I’ve had to guard? Kyrie Irving. The ball’s on a string. You’re on an island, and you just don’t know what he’s going to do. You could force him one way, but he still ends up getting to the spot you don’t want him at. His handle is impeccable. It’s impeccable. He’s got the greatest handle I’ve seen,” McConnell said.

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“He can really shoot it, he’s fast—it’s just a tough place to be mentally when you’re guarding Kyrie,” he added.

Irving sustained a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee during the 2024–25 season, suffering the injury after being fouled while driving to the basket in the first quarter. He immediately grabbed his left leg and called for assistance.

Before the injury, Irving had played in 50 of the team’s 62 games and was the only NBA player averaging at least 20 points while shooting 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line. Notably, this marked the fifth time in his 14-year NBA career that Irving had met or surpassed those thresholds—second only to Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry.

Selected as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA Draft, Irving has also played for the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Dallas Mavericks. The star point guard is a 2016 NBA champion, an eight-time NBA All-Star, the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year, and the 2014 NBA All-Star Game MVP, among other honors.

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