LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were almost unstoppable as teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They made it to three consecutive NBA titles before Kyrie learned the Cavs were considering trading him and then demanded a trade, believing he was no longer wanted in Cleveland. Now, Irving seems to be ready to talk about what it is like to play with LeBron and how it makes everything harder for both younger and older players in the NBA.

Kyrie Irving on why its hard to play with LeBron James

Kyrie Irving spoke one-on-one with Dave McMenamin of ESPN and finally talked about his relationship with LeBron James in Cleveland and revealed why it is so hard -- not just for him, but for others such as the Los Angeles Lakers young players -- to play alongside James on the court.

Kyrie said that it is a challenge to play with LeBron James and it can be very difficult because it demands a lot from everyone around him. Kyrie said that being a teammate of LeBron immediately means you are on a championship caliber team just because of James talent. What all the players around him have to do is then implement who they are and grow as a player while working around one of the smartest, most talented and strongest leaders in the NBA.

Kyrie Irving said that one of the biggest things is to not falter. If you are already a great player when LeBron James arrives, you will soon learn that you are not as great as he is. That means you have to change the way you play and transition your game to fit in with James while still trying to grow your career in the way you want it to be.

"OK, what are the steps to get there?" Irving asked. "So, now do you learn by example from watching him?"

LeBron brings outside distractions

Kyrie Irving also said that LeBron James brings a lot of distractions from outside the organization when he arrives. With James in town, there are more expectations from everyone on the outside and that can really get into a player's head because everyone starts looking for people to blame for games that a team with LeBron loses.

That happened in Cleveland last year when everyone tried to point fingers at everyone from Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose to the young players that the Cavs brought in to help LeBron. That has happened this year with the Los Angeles Lakers, with people wondering if Brandon Ingram is not playing as well as he needs to -- not allowing him to grow because LeBron is in town and it is time to win.

"I believe the very, very special ones -- the unique ones -- gladly take on that challenge, and they relish it," Irving said. "You can't be afraid to challenge another great person. That's how greatness is achieved."
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