Christie Arrives Before Irving at the Arena
Max Christie was the first Dallas Mavericks player to arrive at American Airlines Center (AAC) on Friday—beating out the usual early bird, Kyrie Irving.
Typically, Irving is the first Maverick to walk through the arena doors on game day, but that changed when the Mavs faced the New Orleans Pelicans in a 111-103 victory. Irving took notice and had some lighthearted remarks about the unexpected shift.
“(Christie) wants to be great at what he does,” Irving said. “And when somebody wants to do that, they’ll beat you to the arena early like Max Christie did (Friday) and set a great example.”
Even head coach Jason Kidd was surprised that anyone managed to arrive before Irving.
“Kai’s usually here by 2 (p.m.), 2:30 (p.m.)—before anybody else,” Kidd said. “Kai must have gotten stuck in traffic. He shared with me (that Christie beat him to AAC) when he got to work. I said, ‘You must have drove the slow car or got stuck in traffic.’”
Irving has a strict pre-game routine that spans about five and a half hours, from treatment to warm-ups. While it’s rare for anyone to beat him to the arena, Christie managed to do just that.
“Other than (former Mavs guard) Jazian (Gortman) and some of the two-ways, not too many,” Irving said. “But Max beat me. I was pissed!”
Of course, he said that jokingly, acknowledging that Christie’s commitment speaks volumes about his dedication to the game.
“I was happy to see him, but at the same time I gave him the side-eye,” Irving said. “(Christie) did this on purpose, to motivate me. I thought I left my house early. That’s just a testament of being a true professional and having fun at your craft.”
With the Mavericks returning home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, the big question remains—who will be the first player to arrive at AAC this time?
“I can only imagine Kai will spend the night next time to make sure he beats (Christie to AAC),” Kidd joked. “It’s kind of cool to see somebody else join the party to come early to work.”
