By now, every NBA fan knows about the Kyrie Irving situation in Cleveland. After being selected as the first overall pick by the Cavaliers in 2011, Irving was supposed to be the face of the franchise. In 2015, he signed a five-year, 95 million contract with the Cavaliers and the team was hoping to have him for many, many years. But everything changed when LeBron James decided to come back to Cleveland in 2014, after spending four seasons with the Miami Heat. James led the Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA title and everything seemed to be perfect in Cleveland.
But after the 2017 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, things are going downhill for the Cavs. LeBron James will be a free-agent next summer and there are rumors he could leave the Cavaliers and join the Los Angeles Lakers. Also, Kyrie Irving wants to be traded from Cleveland.
Ron Harper weighs in
Irving apparently doesn't want to play alongside LeBron James anymore and wants a fresh start somewhere else. He is reportedly tired of playing in James' shadow and wants to be the vocal point on a new team. Many stars and former players have commented on this situation and the latest one to weigh in on Kyrie Irving's request is Ron Harper. Harper was the eighth pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He spoke with Marla Ridenour of Beacon Journal and commented on the Kyrie Irving saga. He said that he was surprised, shocked and saddened when he learned that Irving wants to be traded from Cleveland.
Harper was asked about what could be the reason, in his opinion, for Kyrie Irving to make such decision and he (Harper) said: "Youth.
Ignorance." He also went on to say that it's hard to carry a team by yourself: "You’re never going to be a guy who carries your team. You see when LeBron doesn’t play, you don’t carry the team.”
Five-time NBA champion
Harper's words shouldn't be taken lightly, considering the things he was able to accomplish in his career. He won five NBA titles, three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He played 15 seasons in the NBA and holds career averages of 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. In his conversation with Marla Ridenour, he said: "The only way you win is by having good teammates." He obviously knows what it takes to win, and he's aware of the awkward situation between LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. He finished his interview by saying: "Irving should be very happy to be in Cleveland.”
