Going back just one year ago, many were still unsure if one of the top five ranked high school hoops prodigies, Kyrie Irving, from the vaunted St. Patrick’s in New Jersey, who coincidentally played in only 11 games on the collegiate level albeit at Duke, was worthy of the Cleveland Cavaliers choice at #1 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.
But after a spectacular rookie campaign (18.5 ppg, 5.4 ast, and nearly 40% from 3pt), helping the Cavs to a slightly improved 21-45 record, Irving beat out Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio of Minnesota to become the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year.
While the Cavs and Irving still have a ways to go before contending for an Eastern Conference crown, Kyrie’s nice-guy persona has been a public relations dream as the former Blue Devil’s face has begun to pop up on billboards and commercials, most noticeably as the product pitchman for Pepsi Max.
In their newest 5 minute spot, Kyrie gets dressed up as an elderly black man named Uncle Drew, with grey beard and hair to boot, and heads back to the playgrounds of his native Bloomfield, New Jersey, supposedly to be a part of a hoops documentary on his nephew Kevin.
But after a player gets hurt, “Uncle Drew” reluctantly gets picked as a replacement, and slowly starts to school the young ballers, before throwing down a few thunderous dunks and breaking ankles, wowing the crowds, all the while keeping his identity unknown.
Check out Kyrie Irving as Uncle Drew:
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen has also provided content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, Cleveland.com, CSN Philly.com, Buckets Magazine, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
