“He should not have to play 37, 38, 40 minutes on a Tuesday night in Orlando” - Shannon Sharpe says Kyrie Irving can take the load off LeBron James, believes the Lakers will be favorites to win if they sign Kyrie
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving and LeBron James' reunion could be in the cards. The Nets front office and Irving are at an "impasse" in the superstar's contract negotiations.
On Fox Sports' "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe said that he doesn't see the reunion coming to fruition. But if it does, he believes that the LA Lakers will be the favorites for the championship next season. Sharpe said:
"I think it is very highly unlikely that they're able to do this, but if they were able to pull this off, I think that vaults them to the top of the leaderboard of the favorites to win the championship.
"This would definitely lighten the scoring load on LeBron James because you got two guys who could potentially give you 25 points. He should not have to play 37, 38, 40 minutes on a Tuesday night in Orlando."
Irving's lack of availability over the last couple of seasons has caused the Nets' front office to question giving the superstar an extension. The LA Lakers and the New York Knicks could test the waters if Irving opts-out and hits free agency.
.@ShannonSharpe on the chances of the Lakers acquiring Kyrie Irving:
"I almost gave it a milk's chance which is 2% but I went even lower and said 1%. But if they were able to pull this off, I think that vaults them to the top of the list of favorites to win the championship." https://t.co/2L0P4DVBus
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving's relationship
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were once 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 a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.
Both of them played arguably the best ever basketball of their careers, which helped dethrone the Warriors and bring a championship to Cleveland.
However, things weren't all rosy under the surface. There were constant rumors leaking out about Irving's unhappiness with his teammates, and "King" James in particular.
Irving was drafted into the league by the Cavaliers in 2011 as the number one overall pick. He 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. They reached three consecutive NBA Finals in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Kyrie was almost just as instrumental as James in the comeback win against the Warriors. He hit one of the best shots in the history of the league in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals that won the Cavs their first championship.
However, after losing in the 2017 Finals to the Warriors, Irving demanded a trade 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, Irving later said that his new partner Kevin Durant was the first player he trusted to take the final shot of the game. The duo's relationship seems to be unpredictable. It will be interesting if the Lakers do manage to sign Irving this summer.