Google News Kyrie Irving opens on why he left LeBron James
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Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving insists nothing bad happened between him and LeBron James and him requesting trade out of Cleveland was purely a basketball decision. After the 2016/17 season, Irving requested a trade from the Cavaliers.
Irving's trade request made all the headlines and many thought there was a rift between Irving and James. “We got to be cool as brothers whether we’re playing together or whether we’re not playing together,” Irving said on the latest episode of I Am Athlete, via Complex Sports.
“We have to protect one another because it will seep into family life where people will really think that we don’t like each other based on us not being able to play together anymore, you know what I mean? ‘So you asked for a trade so you must hate that dude.’ That’s not true!
So I had to defend myself, he had to defend himself, and it’s like, I’m trying to put that to bed so I can continue to build my own legacy”.
Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics
The Cavaliers had no option but to trade disgruntled Irving to the Celtics.
Irving and James led the NBA championship together during the 2015/2016 season. They famously won the title after helping the Cavaliers recover from a 3-1 deficit versus the Golden State Warriors. “I’m continuously reminded over and over again, ‘Yo, you left ‘Bron.
How could you do that?’” he continued. “You got his fanbase, you got my fanbase, and you got team fanbases going at it, ‘Yo why couldn’t this work?’ And I say this; I asked for a trade because I was looking for something different.
I was a man of my word when I went to the organization, I sat the higher ups down and said, ‘Look, I know y’all have future plans, tell me right now.’ They told me their future plans, I said, ‘Look, this isn’t for me.’” After the trade, Irving didn't spend much time with the Celtics.
In 2019, Irving requested a trade from the Celtics and he ended up with the Nets. Irving is far from a fan favorite in Cleveland and Boston, especially Boston. Irving promised Celtics fans he would stay with the team but then requested a trade after the 2018/19 season.
The Nets lost to the Celtics in the playoffs first round and Irving was being heckled throughout the entire Games 1 and 2 in Boston. The Celtics swept the Nets and Irving's goal of winning a title with Brookyin hasn't yet been accomplished.