The LeBron James- Kyrie Irving duo is easily one of the best tandems in NBA history. They guided the Cleveland Cavaliers to three straight NBA Finals appearances, including a historic win over the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
What is LeBron's parental role to Kyrie?
In the middle of their impressive run, reporters were curious how LeBron transformed a bottomfeeding team into a title contender. His supreme basketball IQ and athleticism were a given, and so a reporter was curious about what parental role he played for the Cavaliers. An unknowing Kyrie was the target of the awkward question.
"So what type of parental role has he played for you and your teammates?" the reporter asked Irving.
"Parental role? Honestly, I don't know how to answer that question. He's been a great leader for us. I have one father. It's my dad, Drederick Irving. But for us, in terms of learning the nuances of the game and also how to win on the court and also how to carry ourselves off the court, I feel like he's been a great influence in that role," Kyrie answered .
Irving's facial expressions jumped from confusion to relief and then back to confusion. Fortunately, he maintained a professional disposition despite a weird question.
Yes, James was the leader and the best player in the crew, but being a leader didn't mean he played a parental role. The reporter probably meant well, but it came out awkwardly, especially to a grown man like Kyrie.
Related: "The seriousness of it made it less fun" - Julius Erving explains why the ABA is more fun than the NBA
Co-existing with Bron
Nevertheless, the Duke product's seamless chemistry with James did not come overnight. Irving, a ball-dominant scoring machine, had to adjust his playstyle to that of a ball-dominant all-around player.
To craft the blueprint, the New Jersey native approached Kobe Bryant , who was in a similar situation with Shaquille O'Neal.
"That's why I went to him for advice. Being part of a great duo, team, and LeBron was at a certain point of his career while I was at another point in my career," Irving said.
"He has a vision for what he [LeBron] wanted it to look like for the rest of when he's playing, and I had a vision for what I want it to look like over the course of this. Our windows were different," Kai added.
Many were pissed when Kyrie suddenly requested a trade. Fans felt that if he stayed, they would've won more titles together. But alas, such is life. Rather than ruminating on the what-ifs, let's celebrate and reminisce about the great moments of the Irving-James duo.
Related: “To Be the Man, You gotta beat the man" - Kyrie Irving wants to create his own destiny in the NBA without LeBron James
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