Kyrie Irving made the decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, and notably, LeBron James. Many figured that he was crazy for wanting to leave the Cavaliers and the best basketball player in the league in James.
Undoubtedly, Irving chose to leave his former team to be his own man. He did not want to be treated like a little brother anymore. His role model is Kobe Bryant, so it only makes sense that what he really wants is to have the "mamba mentality," and be that killer shooter. Uncle Drew clearly wanted the spotlight and more attention, and that is what he has as a member of the Boston Celtics.
More importantly, he has been a leader and has played very well this season.
A new home
He wanted to step out of LeBron James' shadow and prove that he could lead a team. It is clear with just two to three weeks left in the regular season that he made the right decision for himself and his career. With all the dysfunction that went on with the Cavaliers, it was a smart move to leave and showed that he can lead a team, as the Boston Celtics have one of the best records in the Eastern Conference. He found a new home and it was a good fit.
As good of a man as LeBron is, the way he treated the situation was porous. He tried to change the narrative and keep him in Cleveland beyond Kyrie's wishes. It is safe to say that LeBron misses Kyrie more than Kyrie misses him, as he was picked to play for team LeBron in the NBA All-Star game and by team standings.
What I thought originally about Kyrie's request to leave was that it was wrong, but I realized that I was incorrect. I didn't agree with it, but not nearly as much as Kevin Durant's decision to go to the Golden State Warriors.
Sidelined by injury
The star has been recovering from a knee injury and had to have surgery on it as a result of nagging pain and soreness.
The injury could need more treatment down the line as Kyrie is just looking to get back into the action and play in the playoffs. It seems that the nagging issue is from a broken kneecap that he suffered as a member of the Cavaliers and it has been nagging him all season.
Leading the team
Kyrie Irving has been a primary reason that the Celtics are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
The star is averaging 24 points per game, with 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, according to statistics on ESPN. Along with these great numbers, the 6'3 guard is shooting 49 percent from the floor and close to 41 percent from the three-point line. He is playing some of the best basketball of his entire career as a member of the Celtics.
How has he been able to do this? Irving has been able to play the best basketball of his career playing in a different system and having to carry the load. But he has one of the best handles in the league and uses that to his advantage to create separation to get to the rim or shoot. The only criticism I have for Kyrie Irving is improving his defense, but he has fared better with his new team on that side of the ball.
And he could still work on his passing too. But overall, Kyrie has been nothing short of sensational for his new team.
Kyrie is also a proven closer, being able to come up big in crucial moments in a game and that benefits the Boston Celtics greatly in the playoffs. I see the Celtics as the biggest threat in the Eastern Conference, not the Toronto Raptors. The Celtics have been able to play well despite all the injuries surrounding their club. They have a lot of terrific young talent with Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, and Jayson Tatum. It is unfortunate that Gordon Hayward has been out all season because he would have made the Celtics even better and would be valuable in the playoffs. Regardless, I still think the Celtics are a legitimate threat in the East and come playoff time.
It would be best for LeBron to not even make it to the NBA Finals as his record in the Finals would be 3-6. It would tarnish his legacy forever, and the most tarnishing would be Kyrie Irving beating LeBron James to send him home in the playoffs. It might just happen and I think there is a great chance that it does.
