For the past couple of weeks, there has been a ton of tension in the Boston Celtics locker room. Just the other day, Kyrie Irving called out his younger teammates for not playing with a championship attitude. As the de facto leader in Boston, Irving is learning that it's not so easy to keep his teammates in line.
So much so, per Jay King of the Athletic, that Irving called LeBron James and apologized to him. Kyrie now knows how much pressure leadership can be.
Kyrie Irving said he called LeBron James and apologized. Said sometimes getting the most out of your group is not the easiest thing.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) January 17, 2019
It was only two years ago that the Cleveland Cavaliers dealt Kyrie Irving away in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick. Irving had asked management to trade him, being tired of playing in the shadow of James. He wanted to run his own show, somewhere where he can be the best player.
James did eventually leave the Cavaliers in the 2018 offseason. He signed a long term deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the rest is history. Irving is playing on the last year of the extension he initially signed with the Cavs. He's a free agent this offseason, and many suspect that he may sign with the New York Knicks or Los Angeles Clippers and start fresh once again.
So far this season, Irving has played fairly well for Brad Stevens' Celtics. He's averaged 22.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The Celtics are now 26-18 on the season and sit 5th in the NBA's Eastern Conference. They will face off next against the Memphis Grizzlies at home.
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