Kyrie Irving to Wear No. 11 Jersey If He Signs New Mavericks Contract in Free Agency

Kyrie Irving will be making a number switch if he re-signs with the Dallas Mavericks this summer.

Irving will wear No. 11 for Dallas next season and 2023 first-round pick Dereck Lively II will wear No. 2.

When Irving was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Mavericks last season, he wore No. 2 because Tim Hardaway Jr., who is switching to No. 10 in 2022-23, was wearing the No. 11 jersey.

Irving wears No. 11 for multiple reasons:

• He was born at 1:11
• There are 11 letters in his full name
• K is the 11th letter of the alphabet
• He played 11 games for the Duke Blue Devils
• He was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft
• He scored his 11,000th career point on March 11
• His father wore No. 11 while playing at Boston University 

Irving was solid in his short stint with the Mavs in 2022-23. In 20 games, he averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting 51.0 percent from the floor and 39.2 percent from deep.

The 31-year-old was a solid fit alongside Luka Dončić, and the Mavericks have been vocal about wanting to keep the duo together in 2023-24 and beyond.