Kyrie Irving is the Most Noble Player in the NBA
Since the cessation of the 2017 NBA Finals, the off season for the league has been a literal feeding frenzy. The Jimmy Butler and Paul George trades immediately come to mind when talking the blockbuster deals that already took place. But just when we thought the off season had come to a conclusion major deal wise, the whole Kyrie vs LeBron fiasco occurred.
Rob Parker spoke on "The Herd" with Colin Cowherd a few days ago in a take claiming that LeBron asked the Cavs to trade Kyrie for Chris Paul 2 years ago. Parker claims Kyrie was unaware of this, and found out like the rest of us - through both traditional and social media. What makes it worse, is Kyrie was on his Nike Asia tour in Tokyo, Taipei, and Beijing. His camp never intended to leak the news of his desire to be traded, and he went about it ahead of time rather than left them hanging out to dry like fans claimed about LeBron in 2010 and Kevin Durant in 2016.
But let's take a second to actually digest this choice by Uncle Drew. For the last few years we've seen the media all but castrate LeBron James for "taking his talents to South Beach". We followed that hatred 6 years later on July 4, 2016 when KD wrote in the Player's Tribune his decision to leave OKC. When KD was attacked for "joining the competition" many analysts defended him saying LeBron did it first. Comparisons to Magic and Michael Jordan were thrown about stating that they would have never took the easy way out for a title.
Fast forward to the summer of 2017. Here is Kyrie Irving, a 25 year old number 1 draft pick asking for a leadership role. Millennials are often criticized by the elder generations as lazy, entitled, and lacking grit. Here is Kyrie, not taking the LeBron/KD route and teamming up with other stars. Here is Kyrie, following the steps of the great Kobe Bryant. He wants to come out of LeBron's shadow, like Kobe wished to come out of Shaq's shadow.
He is asking to be a leader. He isn't entitled by thinking he can lead a team, again he is a number 1 draft pick. He's literally in the same company as LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, John Wall, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Amar'e Stoudamire, Yao Ming, and Derrick Rose (to name a few). Four of those guys have won MVP regular season awards. Kyrie is in elite competition, and is elite competition. He hasn't reached his NBA peak, and wants to prove it.
He wants to be the man. He isn't demanding to be traded to a contender like Allen Iverson in 2005. He is demanding to be traded before LeBron bails on him for Los Angeles, Houston, or Philly. He is telling the Cavs to get value for him, like Chris Paul did to the Clippers a few weeks ago. Even if Kyrie fails to win another ring, he already has been to the finals 3 times, hit the game winner in the Cavs first final, and still has a ring. He already has proven himself a champion, now he wants to prove himself a leader. We should literally be praising this man in an era, where we bash his contemporaries for taking it easy.
And what's to say he can't renegotiate his status in 2 years? Why couldn't he convince players to come with him, the same way Dwyane Wade did LeBron and Bosh, or Kobe did with Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace (Ron Artest)? Kyrie could win an MVP down the line (again he is only 25), and possibly a title on his own. Golden State isn't going anywhere, but Steph Curry is 29 and Kevin Durant is 28. When Kyrie is 29, they will be 31 and 32 respectively. Envision a Kyrie vs Kawhi finals without Duncan or LeBron. IMAGINE that.
Some may call him crazy, but I call him courageous.