“Kyrie Irving, are you going to leave us like LeBron James?”: When a Cavaliers fan foreshadowed the All-Star guard’s departure in 2013

It seems like several years ago that Kyrie Irving was considered a hero somewhere.

While his welcome at Boston in 2017 was very warm after his trade from the Cavaliers, it was Cleveland where he was most loved.

Hard to believe Kyrie Irving was loved somewhere? When Kyrie was drafted number 1 overall in 2011 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, it wasn’t the expectation that he’ll fill the big shoes of LeBron James.

But the fans were thinking of him as a savior who will take them through from the dreadful 2010-11 season.

Also read: “16,000 NYPD officers unvaccinated but all the attention on Kyrie Irving”: Civil Rights activist Shaun King slams the media for selective journalism

Kyrie Irving became the hero in Cleveland in LeBron James’ absence

LeBron left the Cavaliers after 7 years, consistently trying to win the Land a championship, but he never got help from the management.

The hate he got from the fans for leaving for the Miami Heat was far bigger and stronger than the love he got earlier. That intensity of hatred is arguably the highest NBA has seen to date.

All this hatred turned to love and expectation once again when Cleveland got the first pick in the 2010-11 season and they selected Kyrie Irving.

Kyrie’s time in Cleveland was loved and appreciated by fans of all age

Kyrie made an instant impact in the Land and started averaging around 20 points and 5 assists in the first 2 seasons.

He got the Rookie of the year award in first, and All-Star selections from the second year onwards.

By 2013 he was already a hero in Cleveland and was loved by kids for his tremendous ball-handling skills. Once in an event filled with kids in the audience, Kyrie was asked an absolutely unexpected question.

A kid, with his question written on a piece of paper, asked him “are you going to leave us like, LeBron?”

Kyrie being quick to respond to such a heavy question,

“That’s a great question,” Irving said.

“No, I won’t leave. I’m not leaving,” Irving says as the crowd was applauding loudly.

The Brooklyn Nets star did leave Cleveland in 2017 but not before winning them their first-ever Larry O’Brien in 2016, alongside LeBron James who might have heard this kid’s wish and also of the several other fans in the Land.

Also read: “I hear some players want me to be defunded for criticizing Kyrie Irving”: Stephen A. Smith sends out a stern warning to Marcus Morris and Stephen Jackson 

Around all this vaccination war going on in the NBA, hoping there are people who love and support Kyrie and help him in the decision he makes.

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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