Back in July, it came to much of the shock around the league that All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving had requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, that was not the same range of emotions for former Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, who recently voiced to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald that it did not surprise him one bit.
“I wasn’t surprised by this at all,” Blatt said. “I know Kyrie and what motivates him. His skills have always been there. But he wanted to know what he could do about taking that next step. From an emotional and personal standpoint I think he needed to fulfill his inner self.”
Blatt has a strong familiarity with the personality and internal drive that Irving possesses having coached him for a 1 1/2 seasons in Cleveland. In this time frame, he was able to able to assess that the 25-year-old has a strong desire to fulfill the role of a true franchise player that can lead his team to success.
Although he achieved much success alongside LeBron James with three straight NBA Finals appearances while winning his first championship, Irving wanted to relish the role of leading a team to that ultimate goal. It was a huge career risk for him to push for a trade, but he has now found himself with the opportunity to do just that with the Boston Celtics.
Irving has gotten off to a strong start with the Celtics, holding the top record in the Eastern Conference with him leading the way offensively. It is simply now on him to prove that he can achieve that in Boston.
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