For several seasons, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James formed an exceptional duo that worked in the Eastern Conference… And then overnight, the leader decided to leave the Cavaliers ship, no doubt motivated by an old resentment.
Kyrie Irving, despite his undeniable talent and extraordinary highlights, remains one of the most divisive players in the NBA microcosm, and not necessarily for his approach to the COVID vaccine. Even before making the decision not to resort to science, Uncle Drew had the unflattering reputation of “cloakroom cancer”…
This negative image, he owes it to his time in Boston, where he betrayed fans who loved him enormously. He had openly declared that he wanted to extend the adventure to Massachusetts, before packing his bags a few months later for Brooklyn and his best friend. Kevin Durant. A decision that has not borne fruit for the moment, since he still has not won a ring with the Nets.
Kyrie Irving jealous of LeBron James in Cleveland!
But this sad reputation also comes a little from his time in Cleveland… While he shone in the role of lieutenant of LeBron James at the Cavaliers, the leader decided to leave the shadow of the King overnight, to fly on his own. A decision no doubt motivated by an old resentment, as Joe Vardon explains for The Athletic :
When LeBron James decided to return to Cleveland after his stint in Miami, the Cavaliers also hired his personal trainer, his entire security department, as well as his assistant. Kyrie Irving tried, but he couldn’t get the same treatment for his associates, which greatly annoyed him.
Kyrie Irving would have liked to enjoy the same privileges as LeBron James with the Cavaliers, but wasn’t that a bit pretentious on his part? When the King returned in 2014, Uncle Drew was just 22, and while he was already a two-time All-Star, he didn’t know the taste of the playoffs. It is therefore difficult to claim the same preferential treatment as a multiple MVP who had taken the franchise to the Finals on his own a few years earlier…
NBA Superstars All Have Egos oversized, and Kyrie Irving was undoubtedly very hurt by this harsh return to reality. The Cavaliers made him to understand that he wasn’t LeBron James, which may have played into his decision to leave.
