Clutch Points: “Stare down type crazy Luka Doncic lol I love the energy.” Kyrie Irving was loving this play from his Mavs teammate yesterday 🔥 (via @KyrieIrving/ IG) pic.twitter.com/5XCgB6lVVr -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / August 3, 2023

BasketNews: Thoughts on Kyrie Irving’s new look? 👀 📸 @KyrieIrving pic.twitter.com/LFy11Ba3Ga -via Twitter @BasketNews_com / August 3, 2023

Since leaving the Cavaliers in 2017, Irving has played for the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and most recently the Dallas Mavericks. With all three teams, he has become a much better scoring weapon and he’s continued to prove that he is one of the best guards in the league. However, there are still some who like to critique his game and Irving sent a clear message to his doubters on social media recently. “Pin this tweet and see what happens in the next few years,” Irving stated in response to a post claiming he’s found no success since leaving LeBron. -via Clutch Points / August 2, 2023

Clutch Points: “I remember our first or second game together, he got subbed out and he stood up and coached me the whole second quarter. Didn’t sit down one time. I just have the ultimate respect for him.” Terance Mann on Russell Westbrook 🫶 (via @PodcastPShow) pic.twitter.com/ZaDEtWiwYr -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / August 3, 2023

As a result, he began coaching the youth team in his hometown of Čačak, 150 kilometres south of Belgrade. He moved to the youth team of the program colloquially known as Belgrade Red Star three years later. In the meantime, he started working with Milan Petronijevic, a Serbian coach who worked with Radislav Ćurčić, one of the country’s first players to make it to the NBA. Petronijevic helped him learn how to plan for practices and work with players in a one-on-one setting. His ability to work with players individually, getting them to buy into what he was teaching, has been a huge part of his climb in the NBA. Russell Westbrook was one of the first three people to call Rajaković after he got the Raptors job, and congratulations from some of his other former players were easy to find on social media. “I would definitely text him, saying, ‘I need you at this time.’ He was always there,” said Jeremy Lamb, who played for Rajaković in the Oklahoma City organization in both the D-League and NBA. “Literally, I can’t remember a time where he said, ‘Oh, I got something to do.’ He was always there. He was a gym rat.” -via The Athletic / August 2, 2023

Clutch Points: “I love Russ. From Day 1. … What he did for our season… he saved us. [Paul George] goes down & he went to another level. I can be real with him, he can be real with me.” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue on Russell Westbrook 🫶 (via @shobasketball) pic.twitter.com/eFRaTUHhdH -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / July 27, 2023