Veteran Journalist Exposes LeBron James Over Emotional Kyrie Irving Claim by Ty Lue

This offseason, when the Lakers decided to lean on Luka Dončić’s input instead of LeBron James, it sent a clear message. For years, from his prime in Cleveland to his run in Los Angeles, LeBron’s voice carried weight in shaping rosters and attracting talent. “That would be amazing,” for Anthony Davis was enough of a hint to bring AD to LA. But he was also a victim of Luka’s trade rumors. That shift in influence feels significant, especially considering a similar scenario played out years ago, when diminished trust in Kyrie Irving’s role led to fallout.

A couple of days back, Tyronn Lue shared an emotional LeBron James story. On Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, Lue recalled the moment LeBron found out Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics back in 2017. “LeBron was doing an autograph signing with jerseys and stuff…SportsCenter says Kyrie Irving’s just been traded to the Boston Celtics. Man, Bron dropped the marker, just lays back in his chair for about 10 minutes and doesn’t say a word. Just pissed off. Bron was crushed.” But was he really?

Veteran journalist Rob Parker just dropped a bombshell about the Kyrie-LeBron saga. He said, “Kyrie found out that after they won the championship, LeBron wanted Kyrie traded for Chris Paul two years ago… And I think that he found this out and it cut him deep and there’s no trust.” Kyrie demanded a trade in 2017, just a year after winning the 2016 title that ended Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought. But this was just one allegation.

Many believed Kyrie left because he wanted the spotlight, but Parker just exposed a whole new side to the story. “Makes sense on why Kyrie would want to move on and want to move away from the greatest player on the planet. Guy who you just went to battle with and won a championship with wanted to ditch you right after that for one of his best friends, it would hurt you.”

LeBron James’ journey with the Cleveland Cavaliers has always been full of twists. Drafted in 2003, he played in Cleveland until 2009-10 before heading to the Miami Heat. His second stint with the Cavs began in 2014-15, where he famously led the team to the 2016 championship, ending a 52-year title drought and proving he was still “The King” even without the Big 3.

By 2018, talk of LeBron leaving Cleveland resurfaced. At the time, reports suggested that if the Cavs wanted to keep him, they needed to bring in Chris Paul. Back in 2018, B/R reported that if Paul had requested a trade, new Cavs GM Chris Grant would’ve been “on his doorstep within minutes with chocolates and flowers” to land the superstar LeBron desperately wanted as “a true sidekick.”

However, the situation took another turn in 2017 when Chris Paul forced a trade from the Clippers to the Rockets. The Clippers, too, weren’t satisfied with his ask of a massive five-year, $205 million deal, paying him around $46.7 million in its final year at age 38. Despite all the buzz, Rockets insiders were confident Paul would stay put. Soon after, reports emerged that Paul was actually trying to lure LeBron to the Houston Rockets, knowing he’d be a free agent in the 2018 offseason.

But instead of teaming up in Houston, LeBron James used his free agency to sign a four-year, $154 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Considering this entire saga, Rob Parker’s revelation about LeBron wanting Kyrie traded for Chris Paul might actually hold more weight than people thought.

The real reason Kyrie Irving left Cleveland

Kyrie Irving has finally cleared the air on why he left the Cleveland Cavaliers, and according to him, it had nothing to do with beef with LeBron James. In a recent Twitch stream, Kyrie explained, “I would have loved to choose the franchise I wanted to go to. I would have loved to develop next to some of my favorite players… It’s not that I disliked playing with [LeBron] at any time. It was just literally my time to move on.” He wanted a fresh chapter in his career, away from all the extra noise that came with being LeBron’s teammate. As Kyrie put it, “When you’re playing with someone like [James]… it’s a different animal. It’s a different journey, you’re automatically expected to be at the top of the league.”

And honestly, it makes sense why leaving was such a big deal. Kyrie Irving and LeBron weren’t just teammates. They were one of the most dominant duos in NBA history, establishing a legacy in Cleveland. The Cavs played three straight Finals, winning the 2016 championship and ending a 52-year title drought for Cleveland. Kyrie wasn’t just along for the ride either.

Irving hit the dagger three-pointer over Stephen Curry in Game 7, sealing the franchise’s first-ever title. Tyronn Lue even compared their breakup to the infamous Kobe-Shaq split, admitting he tried to stop it, but Kyrie had “made his mind up” and wanted to lead his own team, away from LeBron’s shadow. The ripple effects were massive.

Without Kyrie, the Cavs still made the 2018 Finals, but without his scoring, they couldn’t compete with Kevin Durant’s Warriors. LeBron left for the Lakers that summer, eventually winning the 2020 championship and cementing his legacy elsewhere. Kyrie, meanwhile, bounced between Boston, Brooklyn, and now Dallas, where he’s still chasing another ring. Over his career, he’s averaged 23.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds across 779 games and earned nine All-Star selections, but he hasn’t won another title since leaving LeBron. And that’s what makes this whole saga so fascinating.

The “what if” still lingers: what if Kyrie had stayed? Would Cleveland have added another ring or two? We’ll never know, but clearly, Bron never forgot that moment.