LeBron James got a little praise from Kyrie Irving after the trade to the Boston Celtics went through, and now Irving can look at LeBron from over in Boston without having to be too close to him. This statement is the public relations work that Irving has to put into this trade because it was such a bad breakup for the Cavs and these two guys. I want to know what really happened, but I think we also have to look at what Irving is saying because I do not believe he is entirely genuine.
The compliments are backhanded
I like to think that Irving was laughing as he released his statement, and I believe that LeBron knows that he is being swiped at.
These two guys genuinely do not like each other, and LeBron will not really speak on it. Someone will try to ask him, and they will get nothing. Kyrie will probably not talk about it much, and he will beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. That is all there is to it, but it festers. Do you remember when the Celtics from the 2008 title team got together?
The two are not even guarding each other
We will get a few nice matchups in the regular season as these two guys run across each other, but that will be all we get to see. Someone who is trying to make a change in their basketball career like Kyrie cannot afford to throw stones around the league, but they cannot throw stones at people who play the same position as them.
If you look at Kyrie and LeBron, they do not play the same position. They can hate each other without any problem.
The two will see enough of each other
There are a few games this season we must circle on the schedule, and we will see them have competitive games without much animosity because they are not covering one another.
I believe that it is quite important to remember that these two guys have to co-exist until LeBron retires. There is bad blood there. There is something that festers under the surface. They will have that falling out like the Celtics players from 2008 had with Ray Allen. They know that he does not want to be a part of their group.
They are terribly disappointed in him, and the memory of that remains for them.
Why does it matter?
Why? Because we are watching a pattern of players who dislike LeBron or have been mistreated by LeBron. He has rubbed people the wrong way more than once, and he had even lied to his best friend in Dwyane Wade when they were on a plane home after leaving Miami. This is what Kyrie has to deal with, and I wonder if we can blame him for running away.