When Kyrie Irving first requested a trade out of Cleveland and LeBron James’ shadow, a lot was speculated about the relationship between the two superstars. Irving cited wanting his own team and progressing forward in his career as the primary motives for wanting to leave the Cavs and it’s hard to blame him despite how you feel about the flashy floor general.
Playing with a generational talent like James means a lot of winning but also taking a constant backseat, something Irving was no longer interested in as he enters his prime years.
Now that Irving’s wish was granted with him being dealt to the Boston Celtics, the 25-year-old can take time to reflect on his successful tenure in Cleveland. In fact, Irving appeared on ESPN’s First Take and was asked by Stephen A. Smith if he had discussed with LeBron about his desire to leave the Cavs before formally requesting a trade with management:
.@KyrieIrving on why he didn't inform LeBron James that he wanted out of Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/WF9GlCA54o
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 18, 2017
Though it may be surprising to some that Kyrie Irving didn’t notify LeBron ahead of time that he wanted out of Cleveland, the Duke product justified and elaborated on his reasoning, saying he doesn’t owe that to anybody:
It’s clear Irving is taking his career by the reigns and isn’t looking back, nor concerned about what anyone thinks of his decision to request a trade from the Eastern Conference favorite. Though Kyrie and LeBron seemed to have a positive relationship on the court, that didn’t translate to a brotherhood off the court like James had with Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh during his Miami days.
With the Cavs and Celtics slated to play each other on opening night, expect there to be a little extra edge in the atmosphere when these two Eastern Conference powerhouses square off.
