LeBron James snipes at Cavs management with Kyrie Irving trade claim
GETTY/USA TODAY SPORTS/ESPN LeBron James hinted as his frustration with Kyrie Irving's departure from the Cavs
James, 33, has endured one of the most turbulent seasons of his career, playing with an ever-changing cast of team-mates as Cavs executives continually chopped-and-changed the roster in an attempt to find Kyrie Irving’s successor. Five-time All-Star Irving requested a trade last summer, reportedly with the intention of becoming a franchise player in his own right away from James’ imposing reputation. The 26-year-old was sent to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round draft pick.
GETTY Irving was a key part of the Cavs' 2016 NBA Championship-winning team
It was a trade welcomed by both sides at the time – but it quickly fell apart on the Cavs’ end after Thomas was revealed to be carrying a hip injury that was much more serious than first thought.
I felt like it was just bad for our franchise to trade away our superstar point guard LeBron James
Crowder also failed to gel with the Cavs’ playing style and both men were eventually sent on their way at the trade deadline, with George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr arriving in one of the wildest deadline days in recent years. Speaking to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols last night, James hinted at his frustration with the chaos behind-the-scenes this season, suggesting he did not believe the Cavs would make it back to the Finals once again. “The odds have not been with us all season. Even if you start back with us to the summertime when I felt like it was just bad for our franchise to trade away our superstar point guard,” James said. “Obviously I wasn’t part of the communications to know exactly what went on between the two sides but I felt like it was just bad timing for our team to get rid of our point guard in Kyrie Irving so I felt like the odds were against us.
EPA The 33-year-old is to appear in his eighth-straight NBA Finals this week