Monument Realty Agent Jeff Cheney is trying really hard to sell NBA star Kyrie Irving a home in Frisco.
Cheney is a pretty good spokesperson for the community and its neighborhoods. After all, he’s the mayor.
He’s pitching the $7.2 million property at 4012 Starling Drive in Hills of Kingswood, primarily because of its indoor basketball court.
“He can practice at home,” Cheney said. “That neighborhood, and really Frisco in general, has become a destination for athletes. It’s an affluent community. It’s safe, and it’s a great place to raise a family.”
Most professional and retired athletes require a non-disclosure agreement when purchasing a home, Cheney said, so he can’t disclose some of the celebrity residents who have purchased in the area, but there are more than a few.
Some of them even become Realtors.
Retired Dallas Stars hockey player Vernon Fiddler recently joined Monument Realty’s Cheney Group Team to get in on the action.
4012 Starling Drive
Built in 2016 on an acre lot, the Starling property is pretty close to perfect for a basketball star.
It’s in a guarded, gated community. It has, of course, the indoor basketball court (complete with a wet bar), and it also comes with a two-level infinity pool, grotto, and spa. There’s a turfed lawn with a putting green and sandtrap.
Four bedrooms and six bathrooms are spread out across 9,865 square feet.
A Casino Royale-inspired bar and game room features retractable metal doors leading to an outdoor living area with air conditioning, a grill, and an outdoor fireplace.
A home gym and media room complete the castle, along with a serene primary suite featuring a fireplace and hidden-projector television.
A New Home For Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving hasn’t exactly been behind the scenes in recent months.
“He arrived in Brooklyn a bona fide weirdo,” according to New York Magazine’s Intelligencer. “He left for Dallas on even stranger terms.”
The point guard famously refused a COVID-19 vaccine, then famously got involved in not-quite-promoting-but-definitely-not-denouncing a documentary called “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America.”
The Nets suspended him, and Nike dropped his contract.
When the trade to Dallas was announced, New York headlines scoffed, “You can Mav him.”
By all accounts, Dallas and the surrounding communities are happy to welcome the baller, who has an estimated net worth of $90 million and scored 24 points in his Feb. 8 debut with the Mavs. Irving has increased that number in every game since.
There’s a rumor that Shaquille O’Neal is house hunting in Frisco, Cheney said, and there’s no doubt the North Texas suburb is a primary attraction for athletes.
“One popular thing about Frisco is you can live in a safe, suburban neighborhood and have all the amenities of a big city,” Cheney said. “We have a lot of things for life after the sport. We’re known as Sports City USA.”
Master Planning Frisco’s Future
Although a lot of rooftops are going up in North Texas, Frisco isn’t in danger of becoming “over-developed,” Cheney said.
The city is updating its comprehensive land use plan and is committed to preserving greenspace, the mayor explained.
“Frisco has been very intentional about master planning,” he said. “We have very intentionally preserved quite a bit of park space. One thing that’s unique in Frisco is we now consider commercial projects part of our open space. They’re required to have 10 percent green space. Every retail development has some greenspace or a pocket park.”
And it’s another reason why athletes and celebrities like the suburb. While Cheney hasn’t yet heard back from Kyrie Irving, he has recently heard from another professional athlete.
Cheney said when he was a kid he met University of Texas defensive back Jerry Gray at a game in Austin.
Gray — who went on to play in the NFL and became a Pro Bowl MVP and a UT Hall of Famer — gave young Cheney a high-five in the tunnel.
Almost 40 years later, the two met again.
“On Saturday afternoon, Jerry Gray called me and told me he wanted to buy a house in Frisco,” Cheney said.
