MADRID: As Kyrie Irving waited to walk outside the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad doors late Sunday night, hordes of screaming fans and a rumbling bus both demanding his presence, he was well aware of what lie ahead.

LeBron James, for one, and all the welcome expectations that will come with being such a big part of the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers team in the next NBA season. But the 22-year-old who had deemed this his most meaningful moment had only two things on his mind: the FIBA World Cup gold medal that Team USA won in such dominating fashion against Serbia (129-92) and his gone-but-not-forgotten friend, the Indiana Pacers' Paul George.

MVP: Kyrie Irving drives to the basket against Serbia. Credit:AP

Six weeks before, Irving had sat with his father's arm around his shoulders courtside at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center, tears in his eyes, after George broke his leg in gruesome fashion. From the lowest of lows to this high that included his tournament MVP honors, Irving took it all in.

"(George) has a lot to do with (the meaning of the gold)," Irving, who scored 26 points (7-for-7 from three-point range), told USA TODAY Sports. "This whole trip was mainly for Paul. Every single day, not taking anything for granted. It's a devastating thing that happened to one of my good friends. It's crazy, but for us to bring a gold medal back -- and knowing he's going to get one -- is exciting."