(No) Chips On Their Shoulders: NBA stars with legacies to defend in the second round of the playoffs

Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics

Let’s start with Kyrie Irving because of the players on this list, he has the least to prove. He has his ring. He has one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history to ice Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors on his resume. He’s been to the Finals as many times as nearly anyone not named LeBron.

But when he forced his way out of Cleveland so he could “have his own team”, he made a declaration to the league that he believed was good enough to be the Alpha on a playoff contender, and didn’t need LeBron to carry him to the promised land. We all know Kyrie can go out there and get buckets with the best of them every night, but the question remains whether he can be an effective leader.

With the injuries behind him, and a menacing, historically dominant Milwuakee Bucks team waiting for him in the second round, the time has finally come for Kyrie to prove it.