Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving reportedly threatened to sit out this upcoming season if the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t trade him.
Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers and got his wish, getting traded to the Boston Celtics this past August. Irving reportedly grew tired of the LeBron James-dominated culture of the Cavs and wanted a team he could call his own. For the Celtics, Irving is shining. He’s averaging 24.5 points, shooting a shade under 48 percent from the floor and 39 percent from 3. But had the Cavs elected not to trade Irving, this season probably wouldn’t have happened for Irving.
Reportedly, Irving’s demand for a trade was so serious, that he threatened to get knee-surgery and sit out.
"Gilbert didn’t have to honor the request, though, as Irving had two years left on his contract. But according to multiple sources, Irving threatened to sit out the season and have surgery on his knee, convincing Gilbert and Cleveland’s front office that the relationship was not salvageable.Irving’s agent, Jeff Wechsler, declined to discuss what was said to the Cavs with cleveland.com, and Gilbert did not personally respond to a request seeking comment."
Observing how the Cavaliers are unraveling, it appears Irving’s gut instincts served him correctly. The Cavaliers are a mess right now, both on the court and off. Irving may have just wanted to play basketball where the team’s agenda was the priority. The Cavaliers agenda? It appears it’s being washed out by too many cooks in the kitchen.
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Currently, the Boston Celtics are 35-14 and are number one in the Eastern Conference. This Saturday, they face the best team in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors. While on paper the Cavaliers have the better chance, it appears the Celtics culture was a culture Irving craved. It’s great he figured that out before it was too late.