Irving has never been one to back down from trash talk, and Gary Payton is one of the greatest trash talkers of all time. The battle between those two on the court would've been thrilling to watch, but Payton had been retired for five years once Irving made his debut.

I t's been a tumultuous season for the Dallas Mavericks. They traded Luka Doncic, faced daily scrutiny for that decision, missed the playoffs a season after making the NBA Finals,