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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has opened up about his decision to part ways with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, offering a detailed explanation during a recent livestream. The comments shed light on one of the most discussed player departures in recent NBA history.
Irving, now 33, reflected on how his NBA career began in Cleveland after being selected first overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. He said he appreciated the opportunity the Cavaliers gave him but wished he had more control over his early career path.
“To have started my career with… I love Cleveland, don’t get me wrong. I’m appreciative of all the things that they’ve done for me, but at the same time, I would’ve loved to choose the franchise I wanted to go to,” Irving said.
He explained that joining a team that was not consistently winning in his early years contributed to the development of bad habits.
“I would’ve loved to develop next to some of my favorite players and some of my favorite people. Because being a young player when you’re on a team that’s not winning a lot of games – it’s a lot of bad habits that form and that’s what ended up happening to me when I was very young,” Irving said. “I had a lot of bad habits, I was not a winner, I was not a good loser at all. I take my accountability, I had a lot of bad habits as a young player, and that came from losing games and just trying to get buckets all the time.”
Kyrie Irving reflects on the early stages of his NBA career
“I had a lot of bad habits as a young player, and that came from losing games and just trying to get buckets all the time… When I’m done playing, you guys will hear the real story.” pic.twitter.com/CcrL61MJkk
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) August 9, 2025
Kyrie Irving reflects on Cavaliers' NBA Finals runs with LeBron James
Irving said that while his scoring drew attention early in his career, his primary motivation was always winning. He noted his experience as a champion at the high school, college, and NBA levels, adding that winning shaped his identity as a player.
“For me, I’ve grown up in this industry or grown up in this culture as a winner,” Irving said. “I’ve won a lot of games, I’ve lost a lot of games, I’ve been to the finals, I’ve won in the finals, I’ve lost in the finals multiple times. For me, I’m happy with getting the chance to play with good teams, but when you guys make it about one player it is kinda weird.”
From 2014 to 2017, Irving and James led the Cavaliers to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances. Their most celebrated moment came in 2016, when Cleveland made history by overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors to win the franchise’s first championship. Irving hit the go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute of Game 7, sealing the victory and cementing his place in Cavaliers history.
The nine-time All-Star said that playing alongside James was a unique experience that came with intense media attention and constant public narratives.
Irving says departure from Cavs was about timing, not issues with LeBron
“But you’re playing with somebody like Bron or somebody that you guys like to compare him to is a different animal, it’s a different journey – you’re automatically expected to be at the top of the charts, top of the league every time you play with Bron,” Irving said. “It’s going to be a lot of media attention, a lot of back and forth narratives, a lot of spun narrative, a lot of politics, a lot of s–t people don’t see in front of the camera and for me I was just a young person trying to figure it out.”
Irving emphasized that his decision to leave was not rooted in any dislike for James but in his readiness for a new chapter in his career.
“It’s not that I disliked playing with Bron at any time, it was just literally my time to move on and that’s what people gotta accept,” Irving said. “They want a deeper detail, dive in terms of what happened but it’s like it was my time to move on. I don’t care if I’m remembered as that person, it was my decision.”
Kyrie Irving, whose 2024-25 season with Dallas was cut short in March due to a torn ACL, averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from three in 50 games.
LeBron James, now entering his 23rd NBA season, finished his 22nd year and seventh with the Los Angeles Lakers averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and one steal per game on 51.3% shooting from the field and 37.6% from three in 70 appearances. He is set to play alongside Luka Doncic, who is preparing for his first full season with the Lakers.
