Kyrie Irving and LeBron James have always had a very tumultuous relationship. The two players teamed up together in 2014 when James made his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. After an initial rough patch, Irving and LeBron got on the same page, and the Cavaliers found great success because of it.
The duo led the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in franchise history. But Irving decided to leave after the 2017 NBA Finals, thus significantly affecting his relationship with LeBron.
And it appears they were able to improve their relationship in 2019, albeit not for long. NBA insider Brian Windhorst recently revealed that LeBron James reached out to Kyrie Irving to improve their relationship in 2019, just as Irving was entering free agency.
LeBron and Kyrie were able to mend fences, but it didn’t last long, as Kyrie rejected the chance to play with LeBron James in favor of teaming up with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, a decision that significantly affected their relationship (0:20 onwards).
“A couple of years ago when Kyrie was headed to free agency, LeBron James was interested in trying to recruit him to the Los Angeles Lakers. And he reached and attempted to mend fences. It lasted for a short time. When Kyrie didn’t choose the Lakers, their relationship went away again.”
Kyrie recently spoke about his time with LeBron, noting that he was able to have his best year when he and LeBron got together. On top of that, he also said that he and James went 1-on-1 during a Cavs practice session once, but refused to reveal which player won.
Irving also discussed his situation with the Cavs earlier this month, noting that he wished he handled the situation better. Irving is a free agent and the Lakers want to provide LeBron with another star. Could we be set to see a LeBron-Kyrie reunion? That remains to be seen.
