The exclusion of Kyrie Irving from the 2025 NBA All-Star Game has sparked confusion, with many questioning the decision.
In a recent ESPN appearance, former NBA Champion and Kyrie Irving’s former teammate, Kendrick Perkins, shared his thoughts. “I look at a guy like Steph Curry making the All-Star Game this season, and I look at a lot of guys like Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, De’Aaron Fox, just in this conference who had better seasons, or are playing better than [Curry]. I’m going to say the quiet thing out loud: Steph Curry should not be an All-Star. He shouldn’t! No matter what the fans want, no matter what the coaches want, no matter what we want to see, you still have to earn to be an All-Star by your production. And if you’re looking at the production around the league, it’s guys in the Western Conference that have better numbers than Steph, and their teams are in better positions than Steph.”
Perkins makes a valid point when comparing Curry and Irving. Irving is averaging 24.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, with near 50/40/90 shooting efficiency. Curry, on the other hand, averages 22.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds but lacks Irving’s shooting efficiency, even though Curry’s threes are generally more difficult. Irving’s Mavericks are 26-23, sitting in 9th place in the Western Conference, while Curry’s Warriors are 24-24, in 11th place. Despite these numbers, Curry was named a starter, while Irving remains out, unless an injury replacement arises.
