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“I was hurt by Kyrie Irving’s comments”: Lakers’ LeBron James responds to Nets star praising Kevin Durant’s clutch play

Samir Mehdi
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LeBron James says he was a little hurt when he heard Kyrie Irving praise Kevin Durant over how clutch he is, and not him.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving seemed to have great chemistry on and off the court back in their Cleveland days. However, over due course of time, it was becoming evident that a level of animosity towards LeBron from Kyrie was transpiring behind closed doors.

Kyrie Irving always believed that he was the best player on every team he’s been on, especially down the stretch in close games. Even with LeBron James on the team, he would call for isolation plays for himself.

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Kyrie provided more fuel to the fire when he claimed a while back that having Kevin Durant by his side would be the first time he would have a “clutch” teammate.

LeBron James finally addresses Kyrie’s comments on him not being clutch.

LeBron James recently went on the RoadTrippin Pod with Richard Jefferson where they talked about their run in Cleveland and much more.

LeBron eventually opened up about how Kyrie’s comments made him feel when he heard them for the first time. He said, “I was like damn. The whole time I was in Cleveland, I only wanted Kyrie to be an MVP in this league. I only cared about his success.”

He ended his statement by confirming that he did feel some sort of way about it, saying, “It kind of hurt me a little bit.”

Is LeBron James right to have felt bad about Kyrie’s comments?

Kyrie Irving claiming that Kevin Durant is the only clutch player he has been the same team with is quite simply false. LeBron has essentially eradicated that narrative a while back.

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The 2016 Finals, the 2020 Playoffs, Games 6 and 7 of the 2013 Finals, and countless other moments prove that James can step up to the plate when needed.

This doesn’t take away from Durant’s greatness, but only adds to LeBron’s

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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