LeBron James seems like a pretty spectacular dude.
So spectacular he’ll offer advice to a teammate-turned-member-of-the-Boston Celtics?
Not so fast.
James was asked on Monday during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ opening media availability whether he’s spoken with Kyrie Irving since he left. His answer was no. He was also asked whether he had any advice for the point guard, to which he also responded no, per ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst:
LeBron James on Kyrie Irving: “I was ready to give him the keys…I tried to help him be as good as he could be…I don’t have any advice for him now, you’re either with us or against us…it was a gratifying three years together.” He said he hasn’t communicated with Irving since trade.
So, like, duh?
What is James supposed to tell Irving now? Not only does he play for another team, it’s the squad that faced off against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s the team that remains their foremost threat prior to the NBA Finals.
Oh, and Irving asked for out. Don’t for get about that. If he was interested in James’ advice, he would have sought it out. It doesn’t matter that James has switched digs before, amid some type of controversy. Irving asked for out, by all accounts, because of James. Why in the effity effing eff would James have any words of advice for him—beyond “Watch your back,” of course.
None of which is meant to absolve James here. Maybe he actually did treat Irving the wrong way. He referred to him as kid a bunch of times in his presser. Maybe that got to Irving, who hit the championship-clinching shot in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Or maybe he’s just salty because Irving left and now feels no need to show respect with an official name drop.
Anyhow, it doesn’t matter. Irving is gone. He is the enemy now—on the hardwood, that is. James needn’t say anything to him. Irving said enough for the both of them by orchestrating his exit.
