The trade drama involving Kyrie Irving is finally over. The All-Star point guard is officially part of the Boston Celtics. His story with the Cleveland Cavaliers has come to an end.
While many agree with his decision, not everyone is happy with it. They feel like Kyrie Irving is just too proud to recognize greatness, as he wants the limelight to himself. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see what this actually means for the NBA as a whole.
Loyalty does not exist anymore
This is perhaps the most evident in the league right now. Fans have seen a lot of players come and go.
They either stay for a good amount of years, but when the going gets tough, they decide to bail. Take for example Kevin Durant who tweeted about being competitive. But fast forward a couple of years after, he decided to join forces with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Kyrie Irving’s decision, on the other hand, was quite different. He left the Cavaliers for the sake of being the main guy. He knows that his championship run is over unless Boston proves to be a great title contender. But what he and Durant have in common is disloyalty. They just do not have the passion to play in a team in which they can be the franchise player. Think about all the NBA greats in the league such as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
They never left their teams and they decided to go up against the challenge.
Money and fame is more important
Of course, there is really nothing wrong about these two elements. Kyrie Irving, like any other people in the world, wants to secure these. But if players choose this over their legacy, it is where things go south. Remember that Irving left Cleveland in hopes to become a focal point in a team.
In Cleveland, he is unable to do so with LeBron James. Obviously, being a team’s main guy means so much more. This includes endorsements and being a central focus in a franchise.
Legacy is not as significant as before
Kyrie Irving’s request for a trade defines what he clearly wants for his career. He is more concern about his future stability than the legacy he can leave.
Of course, he is still stable in Cleveland even if he decides to stay. But now that he is part of Boston, it only means that legacy is not his primary concern. This further implies that most players nowadays are more concern with the money they earn. A perfect example would be Carmelo Anthony. He is in the New York Knicks for the contract. He could have won a championship if only he decided to be in a team that could maximize his potentials.
