Kyrie Irving Just Can't Wait to Be King

HOWARD BECK
JULY 24, 2017

As ESPN reported, and others (including B/R) have confirmed, the 25-year-old Irving has asked the Cavaliers to trade him. He wants a new team—his own team. He's weary of playing the sidekick. He wants a bigger share of the spotlight.

Reports of Kyrie Irving's demand to be traded made waves Friday across the NBA in what has already been a turbulent offseason.
Who demands to leave a three-time NBA Finals team? Who screams "I'm out!" a year after a championship parade? Irving has four preferred destinations, including the Knicks. (The Knicks!) Who leaves a perennial contender for the Knicks? (The Knicks!)

And the core question: Who willingly leaves LeBron James? Indeed, demands it?

Kyrie Irving seems to be the first. It doesn't reflect well on him.

In three seasons before James' prodigal return, Irving was the centerpiece of a forgettable team that averaged 26 wins and zero playoff appearances.


In three seasons with James, Irving has become a decorated star and a certified winner. James didn't just guide Irving to three straight Finals—he gave his young co-star the room to sink that title-clinching jumper in 2016. James didn't just join Irving—he embraced him, mentored him, challenged him to be better.

It's not always easy to play alongside the all-time greats. Michael Jordan was brutally demanding, even bullying. Same for Kobe Bryant, who had little tolerance for mistakes. Shaquille O'Neal was notoriously moody, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar notoriously aloof.

But James is none of those things. Set aside his basketball attributes, and the most common description from his peers is "great teammate." It's the first thing they all say.

In 2015, a majority of NBA players voted James as "the player you secretly wish was on your team." He earned the honor again in 2016.

It's not just the winning that playing with James guarantees. It's the selflessness in his game, the camaraderie he inspires and the joy he brings to the court. James is a galvanizing force, one of the greatest passers of all time, a star dedicated to elevating everyone around him.

This past season, James threw 1,169 passes to Irving—26.7 percent of his total (despite Irving missing 10 games). Irving set career highs in points per game (25.2), shots per game (19.7) and effective field-goal percentage (.535).

There is no stat to suggest Irving's development has been stunted by sharing the stage.

To the contrary, every advanced stat in the world shows Irving is better when James is on the court. Every stat—including the win-loss column—shows the Cavaliers have been worse when Irving plays without James.


In 635 minutes with Irving on the court and James off last season, the Cavaliers were a minus-120, per ESPN's Tom Haberstroh. In eight games with Irving and no James, they were 0-8. ( )

And now Irving wants to leave James?

Can you imagine Scottie Pippen demanding a trade to leave Jordan? Kareem asking for a separation from Magic? Kevin McHale deciding to bail on Larry Bird?

"Kyrie has always been uncomfortable with this not being about him, and his team," one person close to the Cavaliers says. "He's always had to sort of swallow his pride."

Criticizing Kyrie for trying to exercise his labor power? Thursday's at 5 my friend.

Nah. For thinking he can get to greater heights on his own than he already has with LBJ.

Guys get criticized for joining superteams and now guys get criticized for wanting to lead their own team. Can't win either way.

Well in this case he demonstrated hypocrisy by wanting to go to at least two teams with markedly better players than him, so in those cases he'd remain his rightful place as a no 2. He can't defend his motive and the teams he wants to join...just like he can't defend the players in front of him on the court.

This is speculation. Kyrie hasn't said anything about any of this yet.

Come on man. Multiple outlets reporting the same thing about his wish list.

So, Little Crest used to play on a travel team in the northern suburbs. One of the dad's was a senior guy in marketing for a major sports drink company. There was a tourney in South Bend the day Lebron said he was going back to Cleveland.

Kyrie rings up this senior guy at sports drink company who he reps, while he is eating dinner with the kids and their parents. He starts going on about how he can get Lebron to switch companies and come to their brand. After a couple of minutes the senior guy from his sports drink company says, "Look Kyrie, I'm at dinner with friends. Call me back when you win a couple of NBA Championships of your own!!" CLICK

DID.NOT.HAPPEN

It did.

AND IT WILL REMAIN THAT WAY.

It did.

AND IT WILL REMAIN THAT WAY.

I know you're a LeBron guy but going at Kyrie for this really isn't very consistent with your previous thoughts on players. Kyrie decided he wants to play somewhere other than Cleveland. That's it. Who cares? You can think it's dumb because he won't win much without LeBron but again, but that's a bad argument since LeBron is only going to be in Cleveland for one more year. And even if LeBron did commit long term, its just silly to criticize a player for wanting to take on a bigger role and challenge for himself.

A lot of what you just said boils down to speculation, based on his first couple seasons in the league. Nobody has any idea what Kyrie will do in the future. All I'll say is that he's proven himself on the biggest stage and it's ridiculous to judge him now based on who he was as a player after three seasons of NBA ball. He's proven he is a better player now. Also, it's worth mentioning that the roster was not only designed by LeBron for LeBron, but also that $25MM or whatever LeBron makes would be used for other players so it's not really predictive to use stats of the past season to judge how Kyrie would do on his own.

So if he thinks he's the man and can do it by himself, why does the chance of LBJ leaving next year affect him? That should be incentive to stay if he's as good as he thinks he is.

Yeah he can go wherever he wants to and that isn't something to be criticized, that's true. I just think he's delusional. He had three straight losing seasons prior to LBJ, and then all of a sudden he went to three straight finals. Does he not get it? If he stays then he's going to a fourth straight finals - does he really think he can go to four straight on his own? Unless he lands on a super team, Kyrie Irving will never be in the finals again.

It's one thing for Westbrook to want to leave Durant, or vice versa. Those guys unfortunately didn't string together finals appearances like the Cavs did. The Cavs are a successful team with 1-2 years left to add to that success, why move now? It's his right to move anywhere he wants, but it's dumb from a chances for success point of view. He's taking a lot of things for granted. At best he'll be just another Melo - really good stats but nothing to show for it when it's all said and done.

So if he thinks he's the man and can do it by himself, why does the chance of LBJ leaving next year affect him? That should be incentive to stay if he's as good as he thinks he is.

Yeah he can go wherever he wants to and that isn't something to be criticized, that's true. I just think he's delusional. He had three straight losing seasons prior to LBJ, and then all of a sudden he went to three straight finals. Does he not get it? If he stays then he's going to a fourth straight finals - does he really think he can go to four straight on his own? Unless he lands on a super team, Kyrie Irving will never be in the finals again.

It's one thing for Westbrook to want to leave Durant, or vice versa. Those guys unfortunately didn't string together finals appearances like the Cavs did. The Cavs are a successful team with 1-2 years left to add to that success, why move now? It's his right to move anywhere he wants, but it's dumb from a chances for success point of view. He's taking a lot of things for granted. At best he'll be just another Melo - really good stats but nothing to show for it when it's all said and done.

The "He never won anything without LeBron argument" is one of the weakest arguments presented in the entire debate. The roster during his first 3 years in the league was terrible. Absolutely terrible. I guarantee that you like most people that keep referencing this couldn't name the 2nd best player on that team. At least 8 players from that roster were out the league less than 2 years. The ones that remained were rotation players at best. That wasn't a roster that was built to win anything. To hold a 21 year old kid responsible for the failure of that team is ludicrous.

Sorry, Mr. Irving Sr.

Nice deflection but it is noteworthy that you haven't addressed anything that I posted. What I posted was relevant. What you posted was not since I'm not related to him.

He's not responsible for the failures of that team. I understand he's not LBJ who elevates whatever team he's on to greatness. I wouldn't hold him to that standard, so we agree.

Unless he lands on a super team, Kyrie Irving will never be in the finals again.

Can't that be said about any player in the NBA?

He's not responsible for the failures of that team. I understand he's not LBJ who elevates whatever team he's on to greatness. I wouldn't hold him to that standard, so we agree.

LBJ elevating teams to greatness? I'll remind you we are talking about each player's first three seasons in the league. I'm about to get to work but when I do I'll address your above post comparing Kyrie to Tayshaun goddamn Prince.

Can't that be said about any player in the NBA?

I'm trolling LTG like he trolls us. Don't waste energy responding. As a veteran LBJ does absolutely elevate teams to greatness.

I'm not comparing Prince to Irving, I'm just saying Irving's path to the finals outside of LBJ is by joining a deep team like Prince's Pistons or a team like the 2008 Celtics. He's not getting there if he's the unquestioned best player.

But you aren't comparing veterans to veterans. You're trying to compare Kyrie as a rookie/sophomore to LeBron as a veteran.

I agree mostly with your second paragraph but that describes every single player currently in the league outside of Kawhi, LeBron, and Durant, and Durant might not even deserve inclusion on that list so again, I don't really see that as a valid criticism.