NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving is actively working to help his alma mater, Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick, out financially, but Al Harrington and Sam Dalembert are not, Celtics head coach Chris Chavannes told SNY.tv.

“We have faith that Kyrie will help St. Patrick,” Chavannes said, referring to the Cavaliers rookie point guard and the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft. “They have been very pro-active.”

The same is not true of St. Patrick alums Harrington, whom St. Pat’s principal Joe Picaro used to drive to school, and Dalembert, Chavannes said.

“Since they have been in the league, a number of consistent people who donate [to St. Patrick] have stopped because they all are under the assumption that these alums are giving back in a variety of ways,” Chavannes said. (more…)

Kyrie Irving returned to his alma mater Tuesday night and he brought more than his jaw-dropping basketball skills.

He brought some valuable lessons for the young St. Patrick players as well as a promise to donate some of his earnings to the struggling Catholic school.

“He’s very, very helpful in so many ways,” St. Patrick coach Chris Chavannes told SNY.tv. “And he’s made his promise to also help out the school financially in the very, very near future.” (more…)

ELIZABETH, N.J. — Only a handful of onlookers were there Monday evening when Kyrie Irving drained four straight 3-pointers, two from midcourt, in the bandbox that is the St. Patrick High School gym.

“He’s shooting the shot from halfcourt like it was [nothing],” said Darrian Collins, a rising 5-foot-9 junior guard from St. Pat’s.

“It hit the rim, though,” joked another onlooker, underscoring the fact that one of Irving’s long-distance shots wasn’t a perfect midcourt swish.

The 6-foot-3 Irving (wearing blue shorts and a white T-shirt in the video) was the No. 1 pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Draft this summer, but on this night he was just another one of the guys. One of the many talented former and current Celtics playing pickup in the school’s tiny gym.
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Kyrie Irving has filed a harassment complaint with the West Orange (N.J.) police saying he was being threatened by a woman he met through Twitter, according to multiple reports.

The woman is identified as Jessica Jackson, a Bronx, N.Y., native also known as ‘Miss Hawaii.’

According to MontclairPatch.com,  Irving, the No. 1 pick in last month’s NBA Draft, said in the police report he received “terroristic threats” from Jackson between March 22 and May 17. He filed a harassment complaint May 17. (more…)

NEWARK, N.J. – Tristan Thompson said Wednesday he was looking forward to dunking on Kyrie Irving in the NBA.

Now that the two are teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thompson will only get to dunk on Irving during practice.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Irving, the former St. Patrick and Duke star who was taken No. 1 overall by the Cavs, said of playing with the 6-9 Thompson, selected minutes later at No. 4.

“Tristan is a great friend of mine, and just having another fellow freshman being drafted to Cleveland, I’m really looking forward to it.” (more…)

NEW YORK — Tristan Thompson was asked Wednesday if there was a certain NBA player he was looking forward to dunking on once he joins the league.

“Hmm,” the 6-foot-9 Thompson pondered, “I probably want to dunk on Kyrie.”

Thompson still owes one to Irving from their days as New Jersey prep stars.

In February 2009, Irving and his St. Patrick squad demolished Thompson and then-unbeaten St. Benedict’s Prep, 88-62, in front of about 4,000 fans at the Rutgers Athletic Center.

“It was actually his coming out party, you could almost call it because no one saw him play against a big-name school [before that],” Thompson, who was held to 13 points in the loss, said of Irving. “He definitely put on a show and definitely showed the world who Mr. Irving was.” (more…)

Nearly a year after losing LeBron James to “The Decision,” the Cleveland Cavaliers got a major boost Tuesday night when they won the No. 1 pick in the June 23 NBA Draft.

The Cavs will likely choose between Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving and Arizona sophomore forward Derrick Williams.

“I have no idea where I’m going to end up at but where ever I go I will be grateful for the opportunity to play in the NBA!” Tweeted Irving, the West Orange, N.J. native who spent one injury-plagued season at Duke. (more…)

Kyrie Irving will enter the 2011 NBA Draft with plans to hire an agent, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski announced Wednesday.

DraftExpress.com projects the 6-foot-2 West Orange, N.J. native as the No. 1 overall pick in the June 23 draft in Newark.

One veteran NBA scout, however, told SNY.tv he would choose Arizona’s Derrick Williams with the No. 1 pick.

“Our whole program is overjoyed with having Kyrie here for one year and that he has the chance now to pursue a dream of being a high draft pick and a great player in the NBA,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. (more…)

NEWARK – Kyrie Irving and Dexter Strickland played only half a season together at Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick High School.

Yet in their short time together on the court, they made a historic impact.

The duo led the Celtics to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions title in 2009, the school’s third in four years under head coach Kevin Boyle.

Strickland, a natural shooting guard, then went off to North Carolina to play point guard. (more…)

Kyrie Irving will come off the bench and see “significant minutes” Thursday night when Duke meets Arizona in a West Regional semifinal, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Tuesday.

After missing 3 1/2 months with a right big toe injury suffered Dec. 4 against Butler, Irving came off the bench to score a team-best 14 points when Duke routed Hampton, 87-45, last Friday. The former Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick star then hit a critical late basket and scored 11 points in 21 minutes in Sunday’s win over MIchigan.

“We’re good with who we’re starting,” Krzyzewski said, according to the Charlotte Observer. “We should have at least eight people feel like they’re starters on this team, with Andre [Dawkins] and Ryan [Kelly]. We’ve had nine people start on this team, so that’s an advantage. (more…)