The Cleveland Cavaliers are moving on from the blockbuster trade that ripped them apart from Kyrie Irving. But according to Cavs' Iman Shumpert, the rest of the players were not surprised when it happened. Speaking to Everyday Struggle, Shumpert said it's not about LeBron and Kyrie hating each other. It's about wanting the ball as much as the other does. Again, Kyrie Irving's request to be traded has nothing to do with LeBron himself.
"We all knew certain things about this team that’s tough. (No it's not about the two players), it’s two dudes that need the ball.
LeBron needs the ball; Kyrie needs the ball, Kevin (Love) needs the ball. Swish (J.R. Smith) can’t shoot unless he has the ball. Kyle Korver can’t shoot unless he has the ball," Shumpert said.
Shumpert says it's not LeBron James
It's about players wanting to have the ball, but for Kyrie, it's more than just having it. He dared to find another team that will allow him to improve his skills without being overshadowed, without so many players competing to have as much time on the floor. As for the Kyrie's reasons, Shumpert said: "I don’t think it’s f*** LeBron, I think it’s more of, ‘I learned, we won together, it’s time for something different.'”
Richard Jefferson on Kyrie Irving
Richard Jefferson, who was interviewed on the Bill Simmons podcast also answered questions about the Kyrie-LeBron thing, and he was noticeably careful about what to say.
When asked whether he thinks Kyrie Irving is a superstar, he answered: "Oh, I don’t know. That’s the thing: I didn’t know much of Kyrie before I got there. I knew he was special. I would see some stuff, but I was in the Western Conference for six years, especially when he came up."
He also added that he's not sure whether we've seen the best of Kyrie already.
He's a great player, capable of doing things on the court that you've never seen before, but talent wise and skill wise, Richardson compares him to the great Jason Kidd. The way Kyrie handled the ball continues to amuse his teammates, something that cannot be taken away from the guy whether he stayed with the Cavs and now that he's with the Boston Celtics.
Kyrie Irving was recently traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic, and James Crowder. The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, is mum about Isaiah Thomas' hip injury that may prevent him from playing in the early part of the new NBA season. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics introduced Kyrie Irving to their roster two weeks ago.
