Kyrie Irving’s exceptional ball-handling skills are widely recognized in the NBA, with many considering him one of the greatest handlers in the league’s history. While fans often credit his inspiration to legendary ball handlers like Allen Iverson and Jamal Crawford, Irving recently disclosed that a key part of his training originated from a less obvious source: former Warriors star Baron Davis. The drill involved dribbling basketballs wrapped in plastic bags to reduce bounce and improve control, a method Davis used to develop his finesse on the court.

Details of the Plastic Bag Drill Technique

Baron Davis used plastic bags around basketballs during practice to manipulate the ball’s bounce, allowing him to dribble closer to the floor and sharpen his control. Irving, intrigued by this unconventional approach, embraced it as a child after watching a documentary featuring Davis. His adoption of the technique was confirmed during an interview with the late Craig Sager at the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend, where Irving demonstrated how the plastic bag drill enhanced his hand-eye coordination and contributed to the foundation of his advanced skills.

The Influence of Jamal Crawford and Shared Basketball Vision

In addition to Baron Davis’s influence, Irving is often compared to Jamal Crawford for their similarly dazzling ball-handling abilities. On the Pivot podcast, Crawford explained that their connection goes beyond skill—both players perceive the game in a unique and dynamic way. According to Crawford, their coordination between mind, feet, and hands forms a seamless whole that allows them to navigate defenses creatively and instinctively, setting them apart from many other players.

He’s the only other person I’ve seen or talked to who sees the same things, what he’s looking at when he’s dribbling,

—Jamal Crawford

What I mean by that is this: My feet, my hands, my mind are all one,

—Jamal Crawford

So, if you guys trapped me right now, I would look at a spot and somehow, someway, I would get to that spot … [Irving’s] the only other person who sees it like that. A lot of players see it in black and white, and we see it in color.

—Jamal Crawford

The Lasting Impact of this Training Method on Irving’s Career

Irving’s candid admission of using Baron Davis’s plastic bag drill sheds new light on the origins of his elite ball-handling. This method contributed significantly to his hand-eye coordination, enabling him to perform at a level that astonishes fans and fellow professionals alike. As Irving continues his career, the blend of inspirations from Davis, Crawford, and other ball-handling greats underpins his reputation as one of the NBA’s most skilled offensive players.