Filipino artist creates basketball court mural for Kyrie Irving; NBA star calls his work 'legendary'
A Filipino artist paid tribute to NBA star Kyrie Irving by depicting him in a basketball court mural meant to be the first entry out of planned 100 installments.
On Instagram, Maya Carandang shared an aerial shot of his art, which shows Irving in his Dallas Maverick uniform doing a "hand on fire" gesture. Last March, the basketball player notably used his left hand for a buzzer-beater shot to beat Denver Nuggets, 107 to 105.
In the caption, Carandang called Irving "Uncle Drew."
"1st of Maya100. Gifting the community with Mural Art and beautification," he said.
The court, he noted, is located in Barangay Pagdaraoan in San Fernando, La Union.
"Very first Basketball Court with Mural Art in La Union Province," Carandang added. "99 Basketball Courts to go and your court could be next." He also wrote a Baybayin text which apparently translates to "Maya Isang Daan."
In a previous post, Carandang shared a close-up of Irving's portrait as two people were lying down. One of them has a speech bubble that states, "Hi Uncle Drew, come visit Philippines."
Irving noticed Carandang's art after a commenter tagged him and wrote, "All I needed was an invite."
"Next year for sure. Thank you for the LOVE. This is Legendary," the star added, followed by several peace sign and rocket emojis.
In an Instagram reel, Carandang also shared a drone shot of the mural, with a text on the video that read, "Let's make Philippines beautiful and hopefully our heroes will visit one day."
He also shared a screenshot of Irving's comment with the caption, "Philippines will be delighted if you visit, Uncle Drew."
Irving was named Rookie of the Year after the Cleveland Cavaliers made him a first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft.
With Irving, Cavaliers won an NBA championship in 2016. He also became an eight-time All-Star and a three-time member of the All-NBA team.
Before joining the Mavs, Irving played for teams like the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets.
Outside the NBA, he played for the United States national team, helping the country bag the gold at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
