Boston Celtics: Kyrie Irving learning the burden of leadership

He wanted to challenge himself, but now Kyrie Irving is learning just how difficult it is to be the leader of a title contending team.

When news broke of Kyrie Irving‘s trade request from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2017, it was met with a mixed bag of responses from the general public.

Some respected Irving’s desire to challenge himself both as a player and a leader. Others thought it was ridiculous he’d want to leave a team coming off its third consecutive Finals appearance with no signs of slowing down.

Both John Wall and Damian Lillard, two franchise point guards Irving cited as examples of his desires, failed to understand where the perennial All-Star was coming from, having a unique understanding of just how difficult it is to be the leader of a perennial playoff team.

Alas, Kyrie’s request was granted, and roughly a year and a half later as a member of the Boston Celtics, it seems as though he’s coming to the realization of the trials and tribulations that come with being “the guy.”

In the first 42 games of the 2018-19 season, Boston has gotten off to a 25-17 start, good for fifth-best in the Eastern Conference. Relatively speaking, this isn’t a bad mark at all, but considering the hype surrounding this team after their surprising 2018 postseason run, it certainly is a bit of a letdown.

The Celtics were supposed to be this two-way juggernaut, going 10 deep with the ability to beat opponents in a number of different ways. Instead, the Cs continue to try and find continuity with all their options offensively.

The job of a leader isn’t just to score the most points, hit the game-winning shots and have the highest rating in NBA 2K. Among other things, they’re supposed to get the best out of everyone and make sure everything on the court runs as smoothly as possible.

We saw Irving’s former running mate LeBron James go through this exact same struggle when he first returned to Cleveland in 2014. His teammates were uber talented, but lacked the understanding of what it truly meant to sacrifice for the sake of winning.

Irving got a better look than maybe anyone at the subtle jabs and cryptic tweets, and he certainly understood what it meant to sacrifice on-court glory to elevate those around him. Given his trade request, it’s clear he thought there was another way to do things. Only now, less than two years into his Celtics tenure, Irving may be starting to think differently.

James’ methods at times may have seemed unorthodox and passive-aggressive, but after four straight trips to the championship round with a historic title in his back pocket, it’s hard to argue with the results.

Kyrie Irving got what he wanted in leaving the Cavaliers. He was extremely lucky to land in a situation as amazing as the one he currently has in Boston. It’s not about imitating LeBron’s leadership style. It just seems like Irving didn’t quite fully know what it would take to assume that role, and to get the Celtics back on track, he’ll have to figure it out sooner rather than later.