The basketball world convened at the historic arena where Kyrie Irving etched his name into NBA Finals lore, offering an opportunity for the Dallas Mavericks superstar to reflect on his journey. Oakland Arena – formerly known as Oracle Arena – was the stage for one of the most pivotal shots in NBA history.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is responsible for choosing injury replacements, and he selected Kyrie Irving to take Anthony Davis' place as a representative of the Western Conference for this year's All-Star Game. So the Mavericks will have a representative in San Francisco either way.

Irving’s whatever-it-takes mentality has trickled down to the rest of the team, winners of four of its last five games.