BOSTON — Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving could see it coming, like a second defender from the corner to prevent him from shooting a step-back 3.
Yes, of course Irving heard what his former teammate, LeBron James, said about him Tuesday, and Irving was ready to be immediately asked about it now that he is back in an NBA Finals for the first time since all those runs with James when they were together in Cleveland.
“Is that the first question,” Irving said from the dais at Finals media day, chuckling at the whole scene. “Oh, God, I love it. Got to love this, man.”
On Tuesday, James, a Los Angeles Laker for the last six years, said, “Sitting here watching (Irving’s Finals run with the Mavericks), I’m so f—ing happy and so proud to watch him continue his growth.”
“At the same time, I’m so f—ing mad that I’m not his running mate anymore,” James said to his podcast co-host, JJ Redick, in a teaser for an episode of their “Mind the Game” podcast.
“It’s appreciated,” Irving said, in response. “There’s a lot of gratitude there, as well.”
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Irving, 32, hasn’t been this far in the playoffs since his last season with James on the Cavaliers, when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in five games in the 2017 Finals. After Game 5, Irving infamously forced his way out of Cleveland while still under contract, specifically to escape James and the enormous power and influence James wielded on the Cavs.
In the fall of 2018, James told The Athletic that the trade of Irving out of Cleveland to the Celtics was “the beginning of the end” for the Cavs’ Eastern Conference dynasty, as well as his own stay in Cleveland.
The twists and turns of Irving’s career since leaving LeBron are well documented, and include a tumultuous time with the Celtics. In recent days, Irving said he “wasn’t my best self” while with Boston, and on Wednesday discussed his personal growth since that time (and his final days in Cleveland) that allowed him to better appreciate the relationship he had — and has now — with James.
“Obviously, I’m in a different age, different place in my life. So is he,” Irving said. “I think we both have been able to mature and really appreciate what we got a chance to accomplish.
“I think there were some things that got in the way of our relationship when I was a little bit younger. Now that I’m able to vocalize how I feel as a man, be comfortable in it, stand on my square, my beliefs, where I’m coming from, I feel like our relationship’s different because of that now.”
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
