There was an “energy shift” For Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving this time last summer, as news broke he was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Beantown squad.
Irving was in the middle of filming his new movie “Uncle Drew” despite his NBA future remaining unclear, but was soon delighted with the news that finally arrived after a nerve-racking week of waiting. Looking back and reflecting now, lead director Charles Stone III revealed to ESPN's Chris Forsberg the exact moment Irving knew the trade was complete as the crew was attending an Atlanta nightclub after a long day of filming.
“All of a sudden I hear someone screaming, like a guy is just yelling and screaming. And then I see Kyrie run across the dance floor and down through the club and book it right out the door,” Stone said. “And I'm already numb from the grind of shooting. I just kinda looked at my [assistant director] and deadpanned, ‘What happened now?'”
Irving was clearly overjoyed and had a little moment to himself to process what just happened.
“I left out of the club that we were shooting at and I had to decompress for a quick second and it was just an energy shift,” said Irving.
The 26-year-old requested a trade from the Cavaliers early in the 2017 off-season and was eventually traded to the Celtics in exchange for Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic, and the Celtics' first-round pick in the 2018 NBA draft via the Brooklyn Nets which turned out to be Collin Sexton.
Irving spent six seasons playing for the Cavs after being drafted number one overall in the 2011 NBA draft. Although he became an NBA champion there, his story was only just beginning as his move to the Celtics signified the fresh start he was craving.
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