Kyrie Irving was one of the biggest names heading into free agency this summer. Following a tumultuous stint with the Dallas Mavericks last season, most analysts predicted Irving to be on the move. The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the teams that the 6-foot-2 Point Guard was linked with. As rumors of Kai joining the California side amplified, LeBron James subtly expressed his desire of wanting to share the locker room with his former teammate from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hours before Kyrie signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mavericks, James shared a clip from the Cavaliers’ 2015-2016 season.
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This offseason, Irving has expressed his desire to retire with the next team he signs for. Wanting to feel at home, Kai eventually decided to run it back with the Mavs, co-leading the Texas side with Luka Doncic. The three-year contract will reward him with almost $39 million in the first year and $42 million for the 2024-2025 campaign. The 2016 NBA Champion also has a $45 million player option in the final year of his contract.
Despite what the rumors suggested, Rob Pelinka and Co. never seemed to be legit contenders in the race to acquire the eight-time All-Star. Instead of reuniting Bron with his former teammate, the front office signed Gabe Vincent with a more reasonable three-year, $33 million deal.
LeBron James shares a clip of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers on his Instagram story
In what seemed like a planned move to try and persuade Irving’s decision, LeBron James took to Instagram and shared a highlight reel of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers on his story. The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player even captioned it “SPECIAL TEAM THERE”. Take a look at tragicpatek’s tweet.
The Lakers superstar has often regarded the 2015-2016 Cavaliers as a special group of players. In fact, LBJ also believes that the 2016 NBA Championship was the most difficult title run in league history. Further, after leading the Ohio side to a historic 3-0 comeback against the Golden State Warriors, the future Hall-Of-Famer claimed winning the 2016 title sealed his legacy as the GOAT..
Clearly, LeBron misses playing with the team. It could be a valid reason for him to try and convince Kyrie to join the Purple & Gold army.
Kyrie Irving runs it back with the Dallas Mavericks
Even though Kyrie’s move to the Lakers didn’t materialize, he will share the court with Luka Doncic, a player who has often been compared to LeBron James. Yes, their short stint during the 2022-2023 season was a disaster. Much to everyone’s surprise, the All-Star backcourt pairing had an awful 5-11 record when they both set foot on the hardwood.
As a Maverick, Irving averaged 27 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Even though the 2012 Rookie of the Year was productive, the franchise failed to advance to the postseason. Now with the start of a fresh season, pundits are expecting Kai to justify his $40 million-plus per season price by helping Doncic make a significant run in the playoffs.
