It seems Kobe Bryant’s relevance in the NBA has yet to diminish. That is because he is being linked to Kyrie Irving’s decision to request a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers. The former Los Angeles Lakers player is said to have influenced the point guard in one way or another.
According to Bleacher Report, however, Kobe Bryant just clarified the rumor involving him and Irving’s trade. He explained his side on social media, which was quickly picked up by his fans and the media. Here is everything about it in a nutshell.
The Black Mamba has spoken
Shortly after Irving announced his departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers, people were quick to analyze why he opted for such a move. This was despite the fact that the All-Star point guard revealed his reasons already. He basically does not want to live under the LeBron James shadow. He wants to join a team in which he is the focal point. Interestingly, this gave birth to a notion that such a decision was very Bryant-like. The so-called NBA enthusiasts concluded that the Lakers superstar fueled Irving’s decision to move away from Jame’s turf.
However, Kobe Bryant went to Twitter to put these rumors to rest. Sharing a surprised GIF of the former U.S. president Barrack Obama, Bryant confirmed the rumor is false.
“I’m building a @DrinkBODYARMOR @BryantStibel and a Media company but get asked if I'm influencing @KyrieIrving #mambaout,” the tweet reads. Bryant did not mention the name of the media company, though. Nonetheless, this should somehow confirm that he had nothing to do with Irving's decision to leave Cleveland.
I'm building @DrinkBODYARMOR @BryantStibel and a Media company but get asked if I'm influencing @KyrieIrving #mambaout pic.twitter.com/Nm3PirwKJs
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) July 24, 2017
Bryant and Irving’s relationship
The rumor about Kobe Bryant influencing Irving did not just come out of thin air. There was somehow a reason as to why this speculation was taken seriously.
That is because Bryant and Irving has an interesting relationship. He was, in fact, a role model for the young point guard. In fact, following Bryant’s retirement, Irving personally sent a text message to the Black Mamba. In an interview with a media company called Cleveland, Irving confirmed this text message. He explained that it was about paying tribute to a player he considered a hero and an inspiration. “I’m going to take your legacy,” part of the text read.
Whether or not Kobe Bryant influenced Irving, the trade is still very likely to happen. So far, there has been no confirmation from the Cleveland Cavaliers front office that the trade is off. In fact, the latest development is the arrival of former New York Knicks player Derrick Rose.