| |
| Retired | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| League | SEABL |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 12 1966 Bronx, New York |
| Nationality |  American
|
| Career information | |
| High school | Stevenson (New York City, New York) |
| Playing career | 1984-1993 |
| Career history | |
| 1992-1994 | Bulleen Boomers |
Drederick Irving (born January 12, 1966) is a retired American-Australian professional basketball player for Bulleen Boomers in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He is the father of current NBA player Kyrie Irving.
Early Life
Irving is the son of Lillian Irving, who worked two jobs to keep the family afloat. As one of six children growing up in the Mitchel housing projects in the Bronx, New York, Irving saw too much too soon. He was a child on welfare whose father abandoned him when he was 6.
Basketball Career
A standout shooting guard at Stevenson High School, Irving earned a basketball scholarship to attend Boston University where he went on to become the schools all-time leading scorer with 1,931 points at 15.8ppg.
During each of his four years, Irving helped the Terriers advance to the North Atlantic Conference Championship game, including the 1988 season, when the club claimed the NAC title, and earned the school's third invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
A three-time All-NAC selection, Irving led the Terriers to a 23-8 mark during the 1987-88 season. Boston University entered the NAC Tournament seeded second, but dispatched of Canisius, Hartford, and Niagara to earn the school's second conference banner. Irving, who netted a three-game total of 53 points, was named to the All-Tournament team.
A Street and Smith's Honorable Mention All-American as a senior, Drederick Irving was additionally named to the Central Fidelity Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team in 1988, the Kentucky Invitational All-Tournament Team in 1987, and the Far West Classic All-Tournament Team in 1986.
After graduating from Boston University with an Economics degree, Irving was invited to join the Boston Celtics in their Free Agent Camp but didn't secure a roster spot.
In 1992, a call from fellow Boston University Alumni, Brett Brown (current NBA Assistant with the San Antonio Spurs and former Australian National Team Head Coach) who at the time had just secured his first Senior Head Coaching position in Australia with the Bulleen Boomers of the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). Irving accepted a contract to play for Bulleen in the 1992 season where he dominated the league scoring at 30ppg.
Family
He has dual citizenship in the United States and Australia. Irving's first wife, Elizabeth, who played volleyball at Boston University, where they met; died from an illness in 1996 and the couple had two children. His oldest daughter, Asia, is an aspiring model, and his son, Kyrie, plays in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2015–16, Kyrie help lead the Cavaliers to the NBA championship. He has a granddaughter, Azurie, through Kyrie. With the death of Elizabeth, Drederick raised their two children with the help of Irving's sisters. He has remarried and has a daughter named London.