Irving: Leaving the Cavaliers is not annoying James, but is ready to start a new chapter in his career

In a recent live broadcast, Mavericks guard Irving talked in detail about the reasons why he decided to leave James and the Cavaliers that year.

Irving, 33, reviewed the starting point of his NBA career. In the 2011 NBA draft, he was selected by the Cavaliers as the No. 1 pick, starting his career in Cleveland. He expressed his gratitude to the Cavaliers for giving him the opportunity, but also admitted that he hoped to have more control over his early career path.

Irving said: "For the starting point of your career... don't get me wrong, I love Cleveland. I am grateful for everything they did for me, but at the same time, I also hope to choose the team I want to go to. I hope to grow up with some of my favorite players and people because as a young player, you will develop a lot of bad habits when your team can't win many games, and I have this situation when I was young. What a bad habit; at that time I was not a winner, nor was I an affordable person; I would be responsible for it; as a young player, I had many bad habits, all of which were caused by losing and just thinking about scoring. "

Irving reviewed the finals with James on the Cavaliers

Irving said that although his scoring ability was highly concerned in his early career, his main motivation was always to win. He mentioned that he had won championships in high school, college and the NBA, and said that winnings shaped his identity as a player.

"For me, I grew up as a winner in this industry, this basketball culture," said Irving. "I have won many games and lost a lot of games; I have reached the Finals, won the Finals, and lost many times in the Finals. It's so much fun for me to have the opportunity to play with a good team, but it's a little weird when you attribute everything to a certain player." From 2014 to 2017, Irving and James led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals three times in a row. The most memorable moment was in 2016. The Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 backward situation, defeating the Warriors, which had a record of 73 wins and 9 losses, and winning the first championship in team history.

Irving scored a winning three-pointer in the last minute of Game 7 of the Finals, locked in the victory and established his position in the Cavaliers' history. The nine-time All-Star player said it was a unique experience to play side by side with James, accompanied by huge media attention and constant public discussion.

Irving said leaving the Cavaliers was a matter of timing, not a conflict with James

Irving said: "But when you play with someone like James - or those you like to compare him, the situation is completely different. It's a different journey - every time you fight side by side with James, people will naturally expect you to be at the top of the data list and the top level of the league, which will attract a lot of media attention, countless confrontations of public opinion, various distorted statements, many tricks, and many bad things that are not seen in front of the camera. And for me, I was just a young man trying to figure it out at that time."

Irving emphasized that he decided to leave not because he hated James, but because he was ready to start a new chapter in his career. "I never hated playing with James at any time, but it was really time for me to move on, which is something people had to accept," Irving said. "They wanted to know more detailed inside information and wanted to dig deeper into what was going on, but the truth was, I should go forward. I don't care if I will be remembered for it; it was my decision."

Kyrie Irving ended the season early due to a torn ACL in March while playing for the Mavericks in 2024-25. In his 50 games, he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from three-pointers.

LeBron James is about to start his 23rd NBA season. In his 22nd season (and his seventh season with the Lakers), he played in 70 games, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1 steal, with a shooting percentage of 51.3% and a three-point shooting percentage of 37.6%. He will play alongside Doncic in the new season, who is preparing for his first full season with the Lakers.

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