Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James said he has nothing but respect for Kyrie Irving, who was traded to the Boston Celtics for three players and a 2018 first-round pick. On his Twitter account, James shared a tweet by a certain Tony Hartman, who posted a video of Irving’s jersey lying on the ground with a caption “OK Cavs fans, you know what to do.” Fans expected him to burn Irving's No. 2 jersey, but instead, he put a thank-you note on top of it for the All-Star point guard, expressing gratitude for his seven years of service in Cleveland.
James, for his part, responded to Hartman’s tweet, saying: “that's the only way to be to the kid." James also called Irving a “special talent and a special guy,” and he has nothing but respect. He ended his tweet with “what a ride it was our 3 years together.” After his five-year stint with the Miami Heat, James returned to Cleveland and teamed up with Irving, leading the Cavaliers to three straight Finals appearances and an NBA crown.
Cavaliers get Isaiah Thomas, 2 others for Irving
Earlier, the Cavaliers granted Irving’s wish to be traded, shipping him to the Celtics for isaiah thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and an unprotected 2018 first-round pick. To facilitate the trade, Irving agreed to waive his trade kicker.
With the trade, Irving will be at the forefront of the Celtics’ starting unit that includes Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Morris and Al Horford. Last season, Irving averaged 25.2 points and 5.8 assists to help the Cavaliers reach the NBA Finals where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in five games. Thomas, for his part, tallied 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game but he suffered a hip injury in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Cavs team owner thanks Irving
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert thanked Irving for the “six impressive years” in Cleveland. Gilbert said excitement was always in the air when it came to Irving, from the day that he was drafted in 2011 as first overall pick to “The Shot” that gave the Cavaliers their first NBA title. Gilbert wished Irving and his family well as he enters another phase in his NBA career.
Explaining the deal, Cavs general manager Koby Altman said the trade will put the Cavaliers to remain in the position to compete for the championship. Altman called Thomas, Crowder, Zizic and the 2018 first-round pick as very important for the team’s future. It was reported by SlamOnline that James plans to leave Cleveland in 2018.
