“LeBron James getting the Cavs to hire his personal trainer, security, and assistant irked Kyrie Irving”: The cracks in the relationship between the former Cleveland teammates had begun to appear

Former Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving wasn’t happy with the second-hand treatment meted out to his associates when compared to LeBron James’.

The first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Kyrie Irving, was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The former Duke player impressed everyone with his razzle and dazzle on the hardwood. Soon Irving was considered a potential superstar who could revive the dying Cavaliers franchise, making them relevant again.

Post the exit of their homegrown superstar, LeBron James, in 2010, the Cavaliers dropped and how. In the last season of King James in Cleveland, the Cavs finished as the first seed in the NBA with 61-wins. Post James leaving, the Cavs found themselves in the bottom seedings.

However, there was light at the end of the tunnel as the Cavs would receive the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, selecting Irving. Suddenly, the Cavs found themselves back in the limelight, with Irving earning the tag of one of the most skilled guards in the league.

Also read: “At their current state, can the Brooklyn Nets even secure a playoff berth?” Since Kevin Durant’s injury, they have been 2-7 despite having the services of James Harden and Kyrie Irving

Unfortunately, the Cavs continued to stay at the bottom of the standings. It was not before the homecoming of King James in 2014 that made the Cavaliers overnight contenders in the east.

Kyrie Irving didn’t appreciate LeBron James’ entourage getting preferential treatment over his.

Irving and James won one of the most thrilling championships in Finals history, becoming the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in 2016 against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. The two All-Stars had some of the best performances of their career during the 2016 NBA Finals.

However, things didn’t always seem that hunky-dory as reports of Irving and James having a rift started to surface in the media outlets. Irving believed that no matter how much he accomplished, the Cavs point guard would always be in the shadow of James.

Thus during the 2017-18 off-season, the former ROTY would force himself out of the Cleveland franchise. In what was termed as an ugly breakup. A recent report by Joe Vardon of The Athletic claimed Irving didn’t appreciate James’ staff getting preferential treatment.

“When LeBron returned to Cleveland, the Cavs hired his trainer, his security and his personal assistant.  Irving couldn’t get the same treatment for his associates, and it bothered him, but not just him.”

James had publicly stated his disappointment regarding Irving wanting out but wished the best for him. On the other hand, Irving didn’t shy away from taking digs at James. To date, the two former teammates share a complicated relationship.

Also read: “I remember Shaquille O’Neal had a dance face-off with LeBron James in one of the All-Star Games”: F1 stars Daniel Ricciardo, Ocon, and Latifi reminisce about Shaq’s iconic dance-off in a ‘guess what happens next’ game

After Irving’s exit, James reminded everyone why he was the face of the league for over a decade, solely carrying the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals.