"Irving couldn’t get the same treatment for his associates, and it bothered him" - Recent report reveals Kyrie Irving was irked by the preferential treatment LeBron James got in Cleveland
NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and his relationship with Kyrie Irving during their Cleveland Cavaliers days came to a conclusion on a sour note, with Irving parting Cleveland for the Boston Celtics.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Kyrie Irving left the organization because his entourage did not receive the same treatment as LeBron's did. Vardon said:
"When LeBron returned to Cleveland, the Cavs hired his trainer, his security and his personal assistant. Irving couldn’t get the same treatment for his associates, and it bothered him. But not just him."
Vardon also wrote about how Kyrie's father Drederick Irving and someone from LeBron's entourage also had a spat and this also influenced his decision to leave the Cavs for the Celtics. Vardon continued:
"According to a previous report by The Athletic, an incident between Drederick and one of the people close to LeBron whom the Cavs hired turned ugly when Irving’s father refused to shake hands with him. LeBron eventually asked Kyrie what happened, and Irving told him Drederick believed they shouldn’t be “fraternizing with the enemy.”
Report: Kyrie Irving was ‘bothered’ the Cavs didn’t give his associates the same treatment LeBron James’ entourage got in Cleveland cavaliersnation.com/2022/02/03/rep…
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving's relationship
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were teammates and the catalysts for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They won 2016 NBA championship against the Golden State Warriors, upsetting all odds as they came back from an improbable position of being 3-1 down in the NBA Finals. It was arguably both of them playing the best ever basketball of their careers that helped dethrone the Warriors and bring a championship to Cleveland.
However, things weren't all rosy under the surface as there were constant rumors leaking out of camp of Irving's unhappiness with his teammates and King James in particular.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving: 1st pair of teammates each with 40 points in an NBA Finals game (via @eliassports) https://t.co/7lOC6nm5GL
Irving was drafted into the league by the Cavs in 2011 as the number one overall pick. But had to endure three losing seasons before LeBron James arrived in 2014 from the Miami Heat. It upset Kyrie Irving as James was the undisputed face of the league.
But, on the court, both of them gelled immediately and started playing winning basketball which saw them reach three consecutive NBA Finals - 2015, 2016 and 2017. Kyrie was almost just as instrumental in the comeback win against the Warriors as LeBron and hit unarguably one of the best shots in the history of the league in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals that won the Cavs their first championship.
However, after losing in the NBA Finals the following season to the Warriors, Irving demanded a trade from the Cavs and was shipped to the Celtics. But after suffering many injuries, Irving moved to the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent.
The duo have reportedly patched things up ever since, with Kyrie Irving apologizing to LeBron James. However, soon after signing with the Nets and partnering up with Kevin Durant, Irving said that KD was the first player he trusted in his career to take the final shot of the game. The duo's relationship seems to be unpredictable and it will be interesting if the Lakers and the Nets meet in the NBA Finals later this year.