Stephen A. Smith says Kyrie Irving wants out of Cleveland because he was tired of being LeBron's son

According to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, Irving isn't looking to remain in the shadow of LeBron James any longer as the little brother figure.

Since Kyrie Irving‘s trade request came to light, there have been many details to emerge concerning the developing situation.

According to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, Irving isn't looking to remain in the shadow of LeBron James any longer as the little brother figure in the relationship with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Kyrie isn’t saying he’s better than LeBron and should be seen that way,” a close confidant of Irving’s told me. “He’s saying he’s not about to let LeBron ‘SON’ him … treating him like he’s the child and LeBron’s the father or big brother he’s supposed to look up to.

“Kyrie knows he’s a franchise-caliber talent. He wants to be treated like it. And he’s tired of hearing about what LeBron needs, and he’s damn sure tired of hearing LeBron sound like he always needs more. As if the crew they have isn’t enough.”

This isn't a strife against James in any manner, but rather Irving wanting to build his own legacy as the alpha dog of an NBA team and not in the shadow of another superstar player. He has developed into one of the premier point guards in the league over the last three years playing alongside James that has built an even greater internal confidence in the 25-year-old that he can handle that major responsibility.

There are no sour grapes or animosity about this situation stemming from Irving toward James. He just simply feels that it's time for him to shine as the face of the franchise for an NBA team other than the Cavaliers.

That being said, the longer this lingers this offseason, the worse the internal conflict between Irving and Cleveland will become. It's now clearer than ever that both sides need to go their separate ways.