After scoring 30 points in the 121-119 win over the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving shared some words with the fans on X. Looking back with pride on his time with the franchise, Kyrie remembered the 2016 championship run and spoke from the heart on his feelings after 12 years apart from the team.
“It will always be Love from me and my Tribe, Cleveland aka Believeland,” wrote Kyrie on X. “No one will ever be able to take away our banner we won together. All for one, one for all. What a time.”
It was all love for Kyrie in his return and it does make sense, given his role in the 2016 championship. While it was not the first time that Kyrie has played in Rocket Mortage Fieldhouse since the trade, his visit to the city clearly had him in a reflective mood after the loss to his former team.
Irving was drafted by the Cavaliers back in 2011 with the first overall pick. He was an All-Star by his second season and was the face of the franchise for years before LeBron’s return to the franchise in 2014. In their first season together, James and Irving won 53 games for the Cavaliers and went on to make the NBA Finals before losing the series in 6 games.
The very next season, the Cavaliers would go on to win their first title in franchise history, led by Irving and his infamous Game 7 shot. That legendary run cemented their place in basketball history and it’s a moment that Irving has been unable to re-live anywhere else. If not for his unfortunate falling out with LeBron James and the Cavs, he might have stuck around to try and win more titles with the King.
Kyrie Irving And The Cavaliers Did Not Leave On Good Terms
While Uncle Drew may look back fondly on his days with the Cavaliers, there was a time when he was dying to get out of the franchise. Back in 2017, after losing to Kevin Durant and the Warriors in the Finals, Kyrie wasted no time in asking for a trade and it was a huge shock to everyone at the time.
According to Kyrie, immaturity and emotions may have played a role in his actions at the time, and he agrees that the Cavaliers could have won multiple more championships had he just stayed the course that summer.
It’s no secret that Irving’s relationship with LeBron James also played a part. While the two were not on bad terms, Irving had been kept under LeBron’s shadow with the Cavaliers and he was done playing second fiddle. Eventually, he was traded to the Celtics, and the rest is history.
Looking back, it was a messy divorce between Irving and the Cavs but after many more years of challenges in the NBA, Kyrie has grown to appreciate his time there and the miracle run he had alongside one of the best players in the game.
In his current situation, Irving has yet to achieve the same heights he did in Cleveland, and there are questions on whether he is even capable of getting that far again. Without LeBron to back him up, the task is proving difficult so far, but there’s still time to win it once more before it’s all said and done.
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