Is Basketball Player Kyrie Irving Muslim?

Kyrie Irving, born Kyrie Andrew Irvin on March 23rd 1992, is a famous professional basketball player. He rose to superstardom thanks to his dazzling technique and skill with a basketball.

Did Kyrie Irving have a religious upbringing?

Kyrie grew up in Melbourne, Australia, where his American parents were living at the time. His father, named Drederick Irving, was a professional basketball player with a stellar college career at Boston University. Kyrie's mother, Elizabeth Irving, was a member of the Sioux tribe. His family moved from Australia back to the United States when Kyrie was just two years old. Raised in West Orange, New Jersey, Irving's talent in basketball was evident early on.

With his father's guidance and the memory of his mother, who sadly passed away when he was only four, Irving honed his skills and rose through the ranks.

However, whilst not officially stated online, Irving was raised by Christian parents, long before his reversion to Islam.

So, is Kyrie Irving a Muslim?

Kyrie's basketball career took off after playing for just one season for Duke University before declaring for the NBA Draft, where he was selected as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. Since then, Irving has built a remarkable career, featuring multiple All-Star selections, an NBA Championship, and a reputation as one of the most skilled players in the league.

On April 12th 2021, rumours swirled that Kyrie was seen observing Ramadan and had converted to Islam. Circulating images showed Irving kneeling before tipoff and on April 23rd, Irving seemed to confirm his religious affiliation to Islam with a tweet that said:

"All praise is due to God. Allah, for this... For me, in terms of my faith and what I believe in, being part of the Muslim community, being committed to Islam..."

Irving continued on Twitter by saying that he was taking part in Ramadan with "a lot of my Muslim brother and sisters". He also spoke of how he had adjusted to a new life serving Allah and being grateful for the chance to get to observe Ramadan.

Kyrie has also publicly used the Islamic phrase "Alhamdulillah" which means "Praise be to God," hinting further at a connection with Islam. 

Kyrie has encouraged other sports stars to speak up about their own religious faith, including Jamad Fiin, a black Muslim basketball player who wears hijab, and said that seeing Irving's public discourse about Islam has made her "really proud".