During a recent live podcast, Kyrie Irving addressed a fan’s comment suggesting that if he didn’t enjoy playing with LeBron James, he wouldn’t have liked playing alongside Kobe Bryant. Irving pushed back on the narrative, saying he enjoyed his time with James in Cleveland and that misconceptions have fueled false storylines about their partnership.
“I found out LeBron was coming back like the rest of you guys in the world,” Irving said, recalling the surprise announcement in 2014.
“I had no inclination. I had no time to prepare. It’s not like it was on my bingo card—‘Hey, I’m going to spend my career playing with LeBron.’ I had no idea.”
Irving explained that when James rejoined the Cavaliers, he had already signed a maximum contract with the franchise. At 18 years old, Irving had witnessed James leave Cleveland for Miami and never expected to share the court with him again.
“It wasn’t my choice, and I had no say in the decision,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, Irving noted that he would have cherished the opportunity to start his NBA journey under Kobe Bryant’s mentorship, learning from one of his idols from the beginning. Instead, his early years in Cleveland were shaped by the struggles of a rebuilding team, which he said fostered “bad habits” born out of losing and chasing highlights instead of victories.
“I came from a winning background,” Irving said, citing his championship experiences in high school, his drive for a title in college, and ultimately, the 2016 NBA championship with the Cavaliers. “All I wanted to do was win.”
Irving acknowledged that playing with James brought both success and intense scrutiny. The constant media narratives and behind-the-scenes politics, he said, were challenging to navigate as a young player. “It wasn’t that I disliked playing with Bron,” Irving emphasized. “It was just time for me to move on. There’s not a deeper story behind it.”
While Irving stands by his decision to request a trade in 2017, he made clear that his relationship with James was not the reason for his departure. “When I’m done playing,” he added, “people will hear the rest of the story on why I left.”
