When Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a sophomore at St. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, New Jersey), he met a new student in gym class. That kid, Kyrie Irving, transferred from Montclair Kimberley Academy, and was set to star with MKG for the Celtics, a powerhouse in New Jersey. Kidd-Gilchrist and Irving hit it off fast.
"It was weird," Kidd-Gilchrist said about the two future NBA stars meeting in physical education class.
"We played nothing but basketball and football. It was tackle football. We played tackle outside with no pads with our uniforms on."
.@MKG14 remembers meeting @KyrieIrving for the first time in high school gym class. They played basketball and tackle football. pic.twitter.com/bI8QMPZhV6
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) January 27, 2017
Irving and Kidd-Gilchrist won a New Jersey Tournament of Champions title in the first year together. In the second year, although banned from the state tournament, they went 24-3 and won the Union County Tournament title. Irving went to Duke, where he played one season before being selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kidd-Gilchrist played one season at Kentucky, where he won a national championship, and was selected No. 2 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats.
2009 | MKG & @kyrieirving pic.twitter.com/XBFe5PssLc
— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) March 28, 2016
#ThatBS NBA NEWS U MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN..
MKG and my boy KYRIE.. High school team mates!!! pic.twitter.com/TAUioZ6m— The Pumpa (@Pumpa5) August 30, 2012
Kidd-Gilchrist spoke to ThePostGame Thursday from Terminal 23 in New York City, where he promoted the Jordan B.Fly, the brand's newest basketball sneaker, featuring the Hornets forward as its showcased athlete.
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