Cleveland Cavaliers: Revisiting the LeBron James and Kyrie Irving fallout

By Tony Pesta | Jan 17, 2019

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 11: Lebron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts with Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of a game at TD Garden on February 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

2 of 5

Kyrie Irving LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Understanding Kyrie Irving

First, let’s begin by trying to understand the thought process of Kyrie Irving. He has obviously changed and grown as a player, so it’s worth examining his transformation.

Before coming to the league, Irving was a natural born winner. In his sophomore year of high school, he led his team to their first-ever state title. As a senior, he was a member of the 2010 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship team. He committed to Duke University as a five-star recruit and went first overall in the 2011 NBA Draft despite playing only 11 collegiate games.

Once he entered the NBA, Irving saw even more success. Averaging 18.5 points and 5.4 assists per game, he won the Rookie of the Year award and was named an All-Star by year two. Irving quickly became one of the premier point guards in the league and was making noise in every big game.

Fresh off of winning the All-Star game MVP, Irving went into the summer and won MVP of the 2014 FIBA World Cup. He signed a big extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers and was ready to take responsibility as the leader of a rebuilding franchise.

And then LeBron James came back. While Irving was obviously happy to play alongside a talent like James, he was also probably disappointed in having to accept a decreased role. As Irving said, he was “that young player that wanted everything at his fingertips.”

It is understandable that he was upset when he realized he would be anointed as “LeBron’s sidekick” by many people. For Irving, being a sidekick was something he had never experienced and never planned on experiencing.

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers