While many attribute the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA Finals comeback to LeBron James’ iconic block on Andre Iguodala, it was a result of a relentless effort, not just from James but the entire team, especially Kyrie Irving.
If Irving did not make the final shot over Stephen Curry to take the lead, all the effort would’ve been in vain. Not just the shot, but his overall contributions in the series, which took a major toll on him, are often overlooked due to the grandiose nature of what James pulled off in that series.
Tyronn Lue, the former head coach of the Cavaliers who is currently coaching the Clippers, decided to give Irving his flowers and even went as far as to claim that if Irving had never left the team, they could have had two or three championships, not just one.
In a recent interview with NFL Legend Shannon Sharpe, Tyronn Lue spoke candidly about his time coaching the Cavaliers and facing the Warriors in the epic rivalry.
“Yes, sir,” said Lue when Sharpe asked him if James and Irving would have won another ring if Irving stayed with the Cavaliers.
“And I also think, if KD doesn’t go to Golden State…” said Lue before Sharpe interrupted him and affirmed that the Warriors needed Kevin Durant to beat the Cavaliers, and the Cavaliers would have had two or three championships if not for him.
“If KD doesn’t go to Golden State, I think we win… and I think Kyrie stays because you can’t leave after that, you know what I’m saying? I think [if] he stays, and like you said, we had the chance to win two or three.”
Following the 2016 comeback, the Warriors were forced to bring on a 25-point-per-game scorer in Kevin Durant to bolster their hopes of defeating the Cavaliers. But who knew that move ended a potentially historic run from the Cavaliers that could have become a dynasty team.
Durant replaced Harrison Barnes in the starting lineup and won back-to-back Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018. Many experts around the league believe that the Warriors’ dynasty run would not have happened without Kevin Durant.
Kyrie Irving went to the NBA Finals three times with the Cavaliers. Unfortunately, his first stint was cut short when he fractured his left knee in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals after scoring 23 points, with seven rebounds and six assists.
He was pivotal in the second stint in 2016, where they came back from being down three games to one after Game 4 of the Finals. Irving averaged 27.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in the series, which included a pivotal 41-point game in Game 5 to turn the momentum in the Cavaliers’ favor.
During his final stint in the Finals with the Cavaliers in 2017, Irving averaged 29.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.0 rebounds, which, on paper, seems significantly better than his 2016 performance. Still, with Kevin Durant on the Warriors’ roster, it wasn’t enough anymore to take them over the finish line.
According to multiple sources, Irving left the Cavaliers to come out of LeBron James’ shadow and be on a team where he is the central cornerstone of the team so that he could develop his game further. Following Irving’s exit in 2017, James left the Cavaliers as well in the summer of 2018.
In my opinion, Irving’s exit started a domino effect for the downfall of the Cavaliers. If Irving had never left the Cavaliers, James may have still left the team like he did, and the team could have been his own after that. But impatience turned a great union into one of the greatest ‘what-ifs’ in NBA history.
