NBA analyst Charles Barkley has some harsh words for the Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving's trade request. During an interview, Barkley implied that it seems stupid for Irving to request for a trade in order to become the focal point when he's already working with one of the best: LeBron James. Implying that this generation of players should be looking forward to winning championships and that Kyrie is in the best position at the moment.
"I don't understand the Kyrie situation," Barkley said.
Charles Barkley's comment on the trade request
In the interview with NBA TV, he said that Kyrie Irving will not like it when all the stress and tension is put on his shoulders.
"When he was on a bad team and he was the man, I guarantee you that wasn't a lot of fun for him. And now you want to leave the best player in the world," he added. Apparently, Barkley recognizes James as one of the best players and playing with the best is just "half of the battle." He also mentioned three other NBA greatest players, mainly Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Shaquille O'Neal; the same players he would be willingly play with if it meant a chance to win the championship.
Interestingly, Barkley also said that there are only three to four legitimate NBA championship contenders, and if Kyrie Irving can't land on one of those, he could be wasting a whole season of his career. A similar situation happened between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant during their time with the Los Angeles Lakers, but a similar request like that of Kyrie's never happened.
Apparently, it's all about winning championships for the two and not personal glory.
What David Griffin thinks of Kyrie's request
Opposing what Charles Barkley thinks, former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin praised Kyrie for his honesty and courage. In a previous statement, he said, "Most guys don't have the courage to do what he did.
I don't think this is youth and ignorance. This is a guy who handled the situation exactly like he was supposed to."
Griffin also lauded the young player for privately meeting with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and expressing his intention to be traded, instead of pretending he's with the team.
The former Cavs GM also thinks that Kyrie Irving will be traded eventually.
Kyrie Irving has not released a statement or update on his trade request and has since been quiet since making the request. Several trade talks between the Cleveland Cavaliers and other NBA teams also ended in a fallout, giving Kyrie's situation a bleak future.
