The Cleveland Cavaliers had one of the league's best duos for a time when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving played together. Unfortunately, they had a short-lived time together, as the latter requested a trade from the organization in the 2018 offseason.
There were reports then that James and Irving had a contentious relationship despite their relatively successful partnership. It didn't help that the point guard admitted to not bidding his former teammate farewell after his trade to the Boston Celtics was finalized.
"Why would I have to?" Kyrie responded after he was asked if he let LeBron know about his desire to leave Cleveland.
The reasons for leaving
The eight-time All-Star also said then, "I don't think you owe anything to another person in terms of figuring out what you want to do with your life." As innocent as that statement may sound, it's also easy to see why people thought Irving didn't have a positive relationship with James.
In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best career move for the crafty playmaker, even if that was what he believed a year after the trade. After all, Irving was joining a squad with star veterans Gordon Hayward and Al Horford and top draft picks Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Unfortunately, injuries and chemistry issues plagued the Kyrie-era Celtics. The farthest they went in those two years was the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018, and Irving didn't even suit up in that campaign's playoffs.
The 2019 offseason saw the team bid farewell to an again-disgruntled Kyrie, who opted to sign with the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent.
It would have been nice if the departing floor general parted ways amicably with Boston. However, the rumors at the time showed that the one-time champion "essentially ghosted" the franchise before his summer decision.
Related: "I think he could play until he’s 50 and break both" - Erik Spoelstra likes to see LeBron James also break John Stockton's all-time assist record
The remorse after leaving
Until a couple of seasons ago, the former No. 1 pick had continued to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. But his recent character development as a part of the Dallas Mavericks has gotten praise from various folks around the league.
Irving has also appeared to show genuine remorse for how his Cavs tenure ended. He admitted two years ago to regretting how messy his departure from Cleveland was, chalking it up to immaturity and not understanding team dynamics as a younger player.
The three-time All-NBA selection also claimed that he probably would have at least one more ring by now had he chosen to stay with the organization that drafted him in 2011. That may be a little far-fetched because the Golden State Warriors would still have been a roadblock to the Cavs' championship aspirations even if Irving had remained in Cleveland.
Related: "That motherf****r just took off from the free throw line" - Tim Hardaway recalls the first time he played against LeBron James
Local News
Comments / 0