Cavs' Irving shares inspirational message to motivate kids

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kyrie Irving spent a day dedicated to transition and big speeches by delivering a message from the heart.

Cleveland's All-Star point guard, whose own life has undergone major changes over the past year or so because of fatherhood, an Olympic gold medal and NBA championship, spoke to hundreds of school kids on Friday about following their dreams.

To kick off a program promoting physical fitness, Irving shared some wisdom and experiences he hopes will help motivate kids to reach their potential.

Teaming with Kids Foot Locker, Irving visited one of the city's Boys & Girls Clubs to launch a six-week fitness challenge which promotes a healthy lifestyle and encourages kids to excel outside and inside the classroom.

Not far removed from their age group, the 24-year-old Irving easily connected with the kids, who wore "Go Big" T-shirts and could barely contain their excitement when the Cavaliers' star was introduced and walked to the middle of the basketball court.

Before the event, Irving, who was named an All-Star starter for the Eastern Conference on Thursday, spent a few minutes with the Associated Press discussing the motivation to support his community and aspirations beyond basketball.