Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue and veteran Dwyane Wade responded to Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving’s comparison of his new city and Cleveland. Earlier, Irving said after his trade from the Cavaliers to the Celtics, it made him realize that he was “really playing in a real, live sports city," per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Irving also compared the two cities, saying that Cleveland has a different culture while Boston is “real, alive and ongoing, thriving city no matter what hour throughout the night.”
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that Lue defended Cleveland, saying it is a great sports town with fans 100 percent behind their teams.
“I'm happy to be here,” said Lue, adding that Irving can do what he wants to do. McMenamin also talked to Wade, who said he ignored Irving’s pronouncement, saying he tries not to be oversensitive to what he reads or what he hears from somebody.
Earlier, Irving demanded a trade from the Cavaliers, saying he wanted to become the focal point of a team’s offense and not play alongside LeBron James. The Cavaliers granted his wish, trading him to the Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick.
Irving played six years in Cleveland
A No. 1 overall pick by the Cavaliers in the 2011 Draft, Irving played in Cleveland for six years where he made four All-Star teams.
He also helped the team win its first NBA title in 2016 against the Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers improved their record since selecting Irving but they only made a breakthrough when James returned to Cleveland in 2014. Since then, the Cavaliers have made it to three straight NBA Finals appearances, winning one against the Warriors behind Irving’s three-point basket in the closing seconds.
James-Irving showdown unknown
Interestingly enough, the Cavaliers will begin their campaign against the Celtics on Oct. 17 at home. However, James might not play because he’s still recovering from a sore ankle that he suffered during practice. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reported that James tested his ankle in their 108-94 loss to the Bulls in Tuesday’s preseason game.
James played 30 minutes in that game, scoring 17 points but the ankle did not respond well as he experienced soreness later. The Cavaliers then decided to shut down James for the rest of the preseason, and his status for their opening game against the Celtics is unknown.
