LeBron James usually does his best to avoid off-court drama — but, in the case of Kyrie Irving, even King James couldn’t help but make his feelings known.
While he did initially condemn Irving for his actions, James eventually flipped to come to his defense. Amid Irving’s suspension from the Nets, James made a statement on Twitter, showing support for his former teammate and insisting that the Nets’ conditions for his return are excessive.
“I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information,” James wrote in a Tweet. “And I’ll continue to be that way but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple. Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive IMO. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him. Anyways back to my rehab session.”
💭 I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information. And I’ll continue to be that way but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple. Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 10, 2022
LeBron’s Latest Tweet Could Be Proof He Wants Kyrie On The Lakers
According to some insiders around the league, however, the tweet was more than a show of support from James to an old friend… it was actually a sign that he could be open to the possibility of welcoming Kyrie to L.A.
“You know with that story coming out yesterday, there’s pressure coming from somewhere,” said ESPN’s Zach Lowe. “There’s pressure coming from somewhere. And with LeBron’s comments about Kyrie… Look, I don’t know why LeBron said what he said about Kyrie yesterday. About how it’s time to bring him back in the league. Maybe he just said it because he believes and there’s nothing else to it. I can tell you around the league and even within the Lakers, some corners of it, those comments were read as LeBron opening the door to… At least opening the door to ‘Hey, if you all are comfortable with it and all the blowback it would be, and the Nets are willing to just get out of the business now of Kyrie Irving so we can get him for much cheaper, not both picks, maybe one pick… I don’t even know how to construct a Kyrie Irving trade right now for nine million different… Maybe [Kyrie] never meets those conditions and they waive him? It was read around the league as LeBron indicating, ‘If you guys want to consider it, I’m not going to stand in your way.'”
Monologue at the end on the Lakers options, whatever pressure they might feel to move picks and players, and how the Nets/Kyrie fit into that (if they do at all):
Spotify: https://t.co/zlCp6PigAY
Apple: https://t.co/Z54KYDCkiV https://t.co/sVbuxxQ83h
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) November 11, 2022
It remains to be seen how this latest saga plays out for Uncle Drew. But with both LeBron and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver advocating for him, it’s only a matter of time before he’s back on the court.
Regarding his future with the Nets, that’s another conversation entirely, but it’s clear his only focus right now is on doing whatever he can to get back on the court.
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