So, I’ve been hooping for a while, right? And you see all these guys on TV, hitting crazy shots. But Kyrie, man, his shot is just… different. It’s like art, but also super effective. I got this itch, this idea in my head: “Could I even get a tiny bit of that Irving magic into my own clunky jumper?” That’s how this whole thing started.
First Things First: Just Watching
Before even touching a ball, I spent a good few evenings just glued to highlights. Pausing, rewinding, squinting at the screen. What was he actually doing? It’s not just the ball going in. It’s the setup, the balance (or lack thereof sometimes!), the release. It’s all so fluid. I noticed a few things straight off:
- That high arc. The ball kisses the sky before it drops in.
- The body control. He can be fading, spinning, leaning, and the shot is still pure.
- The quickness of the release, especially off the dribble. Blink and you miss it.
Honestly, just watching made me feel like I needed a whole new basketball body to even attempt it.
Hitting the Court: The Ugly Truth
Alright, observation phase over. Time to actually try this stuff. I went to my usual spot, the local park court. Empty, thankfully. My first attempts? Hilarious. I tried to get that high arc, and let me tell you, most of my shots were just airballs or bricks that nearly took out a passing pigeon. It felt so unnatural.
Then I tried to speed up my release. That was even worse. The ball would slip, I’d lose control, and it would go anywhere but near the hoop. My regular shot, which isn’t amazing but at least consistent, completely deserted me. It was frustrating, to say the least. I felt like a complete beginner again. My shoulder started to ache from trying to force that high release point he seems to get so effortlessly.
Focusing on the “Doable”
After a few sessions of mostly embarrassing myself, I realized trying to copy Kyrie wholesale was a fool’s errand. I’m not him. I don’t have his years of training, his physical gifts, none of that. So, I decided to break it down. What was one, maybe two, things I could realistically try to incorporate?
I zeroed in on two aspects:
- The Follow-Through: He has this really nice, relaxed follow-through, often holding it. I noticed my own was a bit stiff and quick. So, I just focused on exaggerating my follow-through, really reaching for the cookie jar, as they say.
- Shooting off the Dribble (a little bit): Not his crazy crossovers into a fadeaway, no way. But just getting a smoother transition from a simple dribble into my shot. I practiced just one or two dribbles, then pulling up, trying to keep my motion fluid.
This felt more manageable. I wasn’t trying to be Kyrie anymore; I was trying to take a tiny piece of what makes him great and see if it fit my game, even a little.
So, Did It Work?
Well, I’m not suddenly draining contested threes like Irving, let’s be real. But, and this is a big but, I did see some improvement. Focusing on that follow-through? My shot started feeling a bit softer, and the arc naturally got a little higher, without me forcing it like a madman. It wasn’t Kyrie-level high, but it was better.
The off-the-dribble practice helped too. I’m still not a huge threat pulling up, but it feels less clunky. I can create a tiny bit more space for myself now, which is something. The biggest thing, though, was the mental shift. It stopped being about imitation and started being about inspiration.
You watch these guys, these pros, and it’s easy to think it’s impossible. And yeah, reaching their level probably is for most of us. But spending time really looking at how someone great does something, and then trying to pick out small, practical things to work on? That’s valuable. You learn a lot about your own game, your own limitations, and where you can actually push yourself a little. So yeah, I’m still not Kyrie Irving, not even close. But my jumper’s a tiny bit better, and I had some fun (and some very frustrating moments) getting there. That’s the journey, I guess.
