On the cusp of his fourth NBA Finals appearance, Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving reflected on his basketball journey thus far.

A day after LeBron James said he was angry about not being his teammate anymore, Irving returned the sentiment and expressed gratitude over their run together.

“I appreciate it, that’s a lot of gratitude there as well,” said Kyrie on LeBron’s statement. “I’m at a different age, a different place in my life and so was he. We’ve been able to mature and appreciate how much we’ve been able to accomplish.”

Irving, an 8x All-Star, broke up his partnership with James after just three years when he requested a trade from the Cavaliers in 2017.

Irving was eventually sent to the Celtics in a multi-player deal for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and two draft picks. According to Irving, some things got in the way of their success together but they’ve both grown up enough over time to end the beef once and for all.

“I think there were some things that got in the way of our relationship when I was a little bit younger,” said Irving to reporters on Wednesday. “Now that I’m able to vocalize how I feel as a man and be comfortable in it, I feel like our relationship is different because of that now.”

Kyrie and LeBron (a 4x NBA champion) did not depart on good terms and I never thought they would reconcile after their split. But after a tumultuous tenure with the Nets and some major controversies over the span of a few years, Irving learned from his mistakes and it seems he’s in a very different place now. It’s a shame that the Lakers were never able to bring them back together.

Kyrie Irving Admits He Misses Playing With LeBron
Kyrie’s career has been a wild ride of chaos and controversy but his work on the court has never faltered. Since joining the Mavericks, he’s been one of the best guards in the West with averages of 26.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game on 50% shooting.

Even in the Finals alongside superstar Slovenian scorer Luka Doncic, however, Irving still thinks about his days with the King. As the 32-year-old out of Duke explained to the media, having LeBron to back you up is a surreal experience that he will never forget.

“I definitely miss him,” Kyrie said. “Being able to run up and down the floor, just throw the ball to someone like that, as athletic as they come. There’s that mutual respect there for what we brought to the table. His leadership and my leadership style, I think it meshed very well. I was learning a lot that I will appreciate for the rest of my life.”

While a short-lived alliance, LeBron and Irving’s run can only be counted as a success given that it came with three straight NBA Finals appearances and a championship victory over one of the greatest teams ever assembled.

LeBron, now 39 years old, and Uncle Drew are likely never going to be reunited again on the basketball court, but I love the fact that they’ve come to embrace their time at the top together. What they accomplished in 2016 was nothing short of a miracle and it’s a moment that stands out in the careers of both Irving and LeBron.

Had they managed to stay together for longer, who knows what more the duo could have accomplished together? Sadly, it just wasn’t meant to last at the time and one could argue that the way everything played out helped Kyrie become the man he is today — a mature and steady presence in the locker room for the 2024 Western Conference champions.

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