Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving allegedly didn’t talk to teammates for several days during last season’s playoffs. Dave McMenamin of ESPN made this revelation during an appearance on The BBall Breakdown Podcast. According to McMenamin, former Cavaliers forward James Jones witnessed Irving "go consecutive days without speaking to a teammate at practice." McMenamin said this occurred between the first and second rounds of the NBA playoffs. McMenamin also claimed that Irving was acting “sullen or reclusive” around his teammates during the postseason.
McMenamin said Irving’s move was unusual since communication is important in basketball, especially in the playoffs where you rally teammates to get things done.
Last month, Irving met with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and requested a trade, saying he wants to become the No. 1 option on a team and wants to stay away from LeBron James’ presence. Irving also mentioned the San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and the New York Knicks as possible trade destinations. However, there was no movement since Irving’s demand went public. At first, some 20 teams expressed interest in trading for Irving, with the Phoenix Suns, Spurs, and the Detroit Pistons submitting offers for the All-Star playmaker, who averaged 25.2 points per game last season.
Cavs want to resolve issue with Irving
According to Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report, the Cavaliers are now finding ways on how to resolve Irving’s issue and convince him to stay with the team. Bucher said the Cavaliers are now thinking twice about shipping Irving to another team because they have yet to receive an offer that suits their need.
The Cavaliers have no obligation to trade Irving because he’s under contract for two more years. Irving’s trade demand caught the Cavaliers’ front office off-guard because the point guard looked satisfied with his role on the team.
Gilbert Arenas chimed in on Irving issue
In an interview with TMZ Sports, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas said James and Irving need each other in order to be successful and win another championship.
According to Arenas, known as Agent Zero, Irving will not win another championship without James. However, Arenas clarified that James needs a player of Irving’s caliber alongside him to win his fourth NBA championship ring.As of now, Arenas said James and Irving are in a different state of mind, saying LeBron wants more rings while Kyrie aims to show his wares as the No. 1 player on a team.
