In a new video resurfacing on social media, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving engage in a heated exchange. After trailing the Golden State Warriors 1-3, James and Irving guided the Cleveland Cavs to their first championship in 2016, beating them 4-3 in the 2016 NBA Finals. Last season, James and Irving embraced each other after Kyrie's Dallas Mavericks beat LeBron's Lakers 127-125, but the exchanges between the former teammates haven't always been positive.
In the resurfaced video from 2021, Irving, who was a member of the Brooklyn Nets at the time, jokingly asked if James was the Lakers' best free-throw shooter after he missed a free throw, to which LeBron retorts, “Shut your little a** up,” in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter.
It's a rare moment caught on camera between the two stars, who have consistently shown the utmost respect for one another since parting ways in 2017. After losing 4-1 in the 2017 NBA Finals to an improved Warriors team led by superstars Kevin Durant, Curry, and Thompson, Irving requested out of Cleveland. He was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and two draft picks.
Then, in the following offseason, after losing back-to-back NBA Finals' to the Warriors, LeBron signed a four-year, $154 million deal with the Lakers.
Kyrie Irving pursues his second NBA championship
Kyrie Irving watched LeBron James win his first NBA championship since leading the Cavs to a title in 2016. James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers against Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals. James captured his fourth title. Irving, now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, is still chasing his second.
To avoid losing him to another team in free agency, the Brooklyn Nets traded Irving and Markieff Morris to the Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks. Alongside superstar Luka Doncic, Irving led the Mavs to the NBA Finals last season before losing 4-1 to the Celtics.
Since leaving Cleveland, Kyrie's best chance of winning is in Dallas. After leaving Boston to team up with Kevin Durant and James Harden failed with the Brooklyn Nets, the clean slate with the Mavs has been a seamless fit in Dallas. 2024 marked the first time Irving played beyond the second round of the playoffs since losing the NBA Finals in 2017.
Still, Kyrie is looking forward to his 14th NBA season. Irving will be ready for training camp after undergoing surgery to repair his broken left hand, as he and the Mavs have already begun working out in Los Angeles.