After his trade to the Boston Celtics was finalized Wednesday, All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving bid thanked the city of Cleveland and the Cavaliers for his six years with the franchise. “I still can’t believe just the feats that we reached in a six-year span, and I’m truly grateful, and I’m thankful … this is a special thank you to Cleveland,” Irving said in a video, thanking Cleveland for the love and support during his stint with the Cavaliers. Irving added that he has nothing but love for the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2011.
In July, Irving met with Cavaliers team owner Dan Gilbert and requested a trade, saying he wanted to become the focal point of a team’s offense, away from the shadow of LeBron James.
Irving addressed trade request
In the video, Irving addressed his request from the Cavaliers for a trade, saying the “magnitude of decisions that you make in your life can affect a lot of people all at once.” Irving stated that there was no ulterior motive in his trade request aside from that he wants to be happy and to be in a place where his potential as a human being will be maximized. Earlier, the Celtics shipped Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Irving.
The trade hit a snag after concerns over Thomas’ injured hip were raised. The Cavaliers then requested additional compensation from the Cavaliers to finalize the trade. On Wednesday, the Celtics obliged, sending a 2020 second-round pick to the Cavaliers. Irving will lead a Celtics squad that also includes Gordon Hayward and Al Horford.
They also have a bunch of young players in Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart.
Irving had outstanding stint with Cavaliers
During his stint with the Cavaliers, Irving won the Rookie of the Year in 2012 and made it to the All-Star team four times in 2013 to 2015 and 2017. He was also selected NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2014 and made it to the All-NBA Third Team in 2015.
Two seasons ago, he helped the Cavs win their first NBA title, alongside James and Kevin Love.
The Cavaliers took a chance on Irving, who was limited to just 11 games in his only season at Duke due to a severe ligament injury in his right big toe. In his one year with the Blue Devils, he averaged 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. In his first year, he played 51 games, averaging 18.5 points en route to winning the Rookie of the Year Award. The following year, he raised his average to 22.5 points in 59 games.
