ESPN's "First Take's" Stephen A Smith teased viewers with a post on Twitter that hinted at a possible surprise guest on Monday morning. Once he confirmed the guest would be coming, everyone was surprised to find out that it was Kyrie Irving. Irving has had an interesting summer with all the trade talks and media speculation. Irving answered a variety of questions from the "First Take" crew, but surprised Stephen A when he said he didn't need to tell LeBron about any trade talks.
Irving doesn't owe anyone an explanation
Kyrie Irving sat down with the "First Take" crew and talked about his summer and how he handled the trade process between himself and the Cavs.
Stephen A. Smith asked Kyrie if he spoke to LeBron James about his trade request and if he should care about how James feels about the trade. Irving responded to Smith's question with a simple "no."
When Smith asked if he should've spoken to James about the trade request, he responded: "Why would I have to?" He continued to explain "I don't think you owe anything to another person in terms of figuring out what you want to do with your life and it's not anything personal."
Irving's response to these questions signifies a change in what he wants in his career. Kyrie now has a mindset wanting to move into a situation that is best for him. He also stated that he doesn't really care what LeBron or anyone else thinks about how the trade was handled by himself or the Cavs organization.
He did explain there weren't any hard feelings between the Cavs or his former teammates saying, "I'm not here to go at any particular person or the organization because I have nothing but love for Cleveland and I have nothing but love for the times I spent there."
New beginnings
Kyrie Irving avoided answering questions concerning his summer trade, citing a change of scenery why he wanted to do it.
He did, however, express his excitement about joining the Celtics and starting a new chapter in his career. Many people criticized him leaving, saying he won't be able to win without James on his team. He replied to those comments saying he can "absolutely" win without him.
Irving acknowledged that it will take patience and chemistry to build this Celtics team into the contenders they want to be, but he is ecstatic about the upcoming season.
He feels that the Celtics can help him get to his full potential, explaining how he wants to be pushed by his coaches and teammates everyday. With his new team, Kyrie will be looked at as a primary scoring option and the leader of the team. The Celtics are expected to give Cleveland a challenge the entire season, and Kyrie Irving is excited about that as well. He is ready to create his own legacy and getting out of LeBron James' shadow was the first step in doing that.
