LeBron James ‘Crushed’ When Cavaliers Traded Kyrie Irving In 2017, Former Coach Reveals

LeBron James was left speechless and “crushed” after learning about Kyrie Irving‘s transfer from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics in 2017, former head coach Tyronn Lue revealed recently.

During a podcast with Shannon Sharpe, Lue recalled what happened with Irving following the Cavaliers’ 2017 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors. Lue said he “begged and pleaded” with Irving to stay with the team, but said it was the nine-time NBA All-Star who made up his mind on leaving Cleveland.

However, it was James’ reaction while signing jerseys for an event that stuck with the former Cavaliers boss.

“I come sit next to Bron,” Lue said. “We sitting there, hand him the phone, SportsCenter: Kyrie Irving has just been traded to the Boston Celtics. Bron dropped the marker and just laid back in his chair for about 10 minutes and doesn’t say a word. Just pissed off. Bron was crushed.”

Lue coached the Cavs for two and a half seasons, winning an NBA Championship during the 2015/16 campaign. James and Irving were teammates during that time, but that ended in the summer of 2017 when the team traded the former Duke point guard to the Celtics.

Lue also said James would have stayed in Cleveland had Irving continued to play for the Cavaliers.

Irving joined the Cavs in 2011 after being drafted as the first overall pick. He spent six seasons in Cleveland, linking with James in 2014 and winning the championship two years later against the Warriors. The Cavs became the first team in NBA Finals history to win after trailing 3-1, winning a dramatic Game 7, which saw Irving and James both make huge plays late in the match.

One year after Irving departed, James also packed his bags and joined the Los Angeles Lakers, where he’s been ever since. James added another ring while with the Purple and Gold, winning the 2020 NBA Finals against his former team, the Miami Heat.