Just like us, Gilbert Arenas has an opinion on LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, and he highlights the duo’s need for each other.
In Los Angeles, TMZ Sports caught up with Arenas and asked him about the situation between Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. The former All-Star made sure to note that Kyrie needs James to succeed, but also vice versa. Further, he empathized with Irving and understood where he’s coming from.
“When you’re a talent, and you’re sitting behind a mega-talent, people can’t really see your value,” said Arenas “I understand. [Irving] has a ring now, he’s a champion. He’s at the point where he probably wants to show everyone ‘this is who I am.'”
Cleveland won the first title in franchise history in 2016, largely in part to both James and Irving carrying excruciating loads to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Last month, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst broke the news that Kyrie requested a trade from the Cavaliers. Just like Arenas alluded to, it’s because he wants to be the face of a franchise.
“You’re not going to win a title without LeBron. LeBron’s not going to win a title without a great player like himself. … Kyrie is at that point where I want to show the world what I can do. I’m young. I can win more championships down the line.”
“LeBron is in a situation where he doesn’t want to just play basketball, averaging 40, 30 — he just wants to win rings. They’re in two different spaces right now.”
Also Read: Kyrie Irving Wants To Prove He Doesn’t Need LeBron James
The 25-year-old offensive juggernaut is coming off of the best season of his career. In 72 games, Irving averaged 25.2 points while shooting 47.3 percent overall and 40.1 from three. Cleveland made it to the Finals for the third-straight season where they lost to Golden State in five games. Over their playoff run, Irving averaged 25.9 points with a 46.8 percent clip.
David Griffin, the former general manager for the Cavaliers, said that Irving’s going about this in the right way. He’s transparent with the organization. When Kyrie came with his request, he listed the San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Miami Heat as preferred destinations.
However, Cleveland has the leverage. Irving has two more years left on his contract. The Cavaliers don’t have to be in any rush to move him and can sit back and wait for the ideal package to show up.
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