National Basketball Association

Is Kyrie Irving the most skilled point guard in NBA history?

Updated Jan. 11, 2022 5:43 p.m. ET

Kyrie Irving has only played in two games for the Brooklyn Nets so far this season, but that hasn't simmered the hot takes surrounding his game.

Prior to Brooklyn's game against Portland on Monday night, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups made a bold proclamation about Irving's skill set when compared to other point guards in NBA history.

After the game, when word got back to Irving about Billups' comments, the All-Star point guard sounded humbled, but also acknowledged how the high praise pushes him to continue to work to "write his legacy."

But is Irving truly the most skilled point guard of all time?

On Tuesday's episode of "Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe agreed with Billups, though he wouldn't go as far as to say that Irving is the best point guard in NBA history.

Sharpe still believes that distinction belongs to Magic Johnson, who he would take "10 times out of 10" over Irving.

"He's the most skilled, but he's not in my top five point guards," Sharpe said. "He might brush the top 10. People are in awe because he can dance with the basketball."

While Sharpe agreed that Irving was the most skilled point guard ever, there are those who aren't quite rolling with the assertion from Billups, with one of those people being Chris Broussard.

Broussard explained how Irving's shortcomings as a distributor hinder him from being labeled "the most skilled point guard ever" on Tuesday's episode of "First Things First."

"Kyrie averages 5.7 assists for his career," Broussard said. "I can't even go through all the names of point guards who are better passers than Kyrie, and it's not just based on assists. Kyrie is not that point guard that has that incredible vision that Magic Johnson, Steve Nash –– he's not even the best passer on his team right now."

Chris Broussard isn't sure Kyrie Irving is the most skilled NBA player of all time I FIRST THINGS FIRST

Chris Broussard concedes Kyrie is one of the most skilled point guards ever, but not the most skilled.

Broussard has a point, considering James Harden is the de facto point guard for the Nets and is currently second in the NBA in assists at 9.7 per game.

With Harden serving as the point guard for the Nets, and Irving having taken a secondary ball-handling role during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside LeBron James –– during their three-year run as teammates from 2014-2017, James led the Cavaliers in assists every season –– Skip Bayless believes Irving is more of a shooting guard than a point guard.

"LeBron is way better, he's 100 times better as a distributor at point guard. He's an orchestrator," Bayless said. "Kyrie is not an orchestrator."

Irving has already provided enough dazzle to fill a lifelong highlight reel in his 11-year NBA career, but he's not often regarded as a traditional point guard.

However, maybe that's a good thing for his legacy, putting him in his own category.