LeBron James complimented former teammate Kyrie Irving on his latest comments about free agency and spoke for the first time about their recent phone call, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
“Me and Kyrie are in a good place right now,” James said, explaining that Irving’s apology when they talked by phone helped to repair their relationship. “I love the man that he’s becoming, I love the challenges he’s accepted and I always wish the best for him.”
Irving placed the call last month to apologize to James for being difficult during his younger years in Cleveland, saying he understands the situation better now that he’s a veteran. Kevin Love, the other member of the Cavs’ former Big Three, happened to be out for dinner with LeBron during the call.
James called it “a great conversation,” but wouldn’t reveal what he said to Irving.
The Celtics guard made news on Friday with a terse statement regarding his plans for this summer, when he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent. Irving previously pledged to re-sign in Boston, but there has been talk that he’s having second thoughts.
“He handled it great,” James said of Irving’s comments. “His post interview was great as well. Just a lot of things that’s going on in our league right now, and the one thing you want to focus on is getting that team to place where he wanted it to be, and that’s competing for a championship.”
The phone call sparked some speculation that Irving might be interested in a reunion with LeBron in Los Angeles. The Knicks are reportedly hoping to team Kyrie with Kevin Durant after opening enough cap space for two top-level free agents with this week’s trade of Kristaps Porzingis. If Irving stays in Boston, he and James could wind up as competitors in the summer’s hottest story line — the battle to get Anthony Davis out of New Orleans.
Irving told reporters Friday that he is tired of all the rumors.
“Obviously you’d hope it would quiet down, but it doesn’t help when across the league it’s just outside noise again, and my name gets thrown into it,” he said. “Conversations, speculations, everybody’s worried about their credibility. I don’t know how this media empire works. I know it’s a bunch of nonsense to me. So I have a focus on winning a championship this year, and that’s where my focus is going to stay.”
Lebron back at it
Recruit, recruit, recruit, whine, whine, whine. It’s like Groundhog Day with him. No denying he’s one of the best of all time, but it gets so tiresome. Father Time will be catching up with him soon enough, if it hasn’t already.
Sounds more like you. Most of the time he is just responding to the medias questions. And you eat it up
I’ve never recruited anyone in my life, except maybe my wife
And I hear that she would like to join LeBron in LA, reneging on a past verbal commitment to you. Maybe you can keep her if you can acquire Anthony Davis somehow this summer?
Are you 12?
Next is the coaching change that LeBron will have “nothing” to do with…
Baseball just around the corner.
it’s been said before Magic and Lebron have the plan in place recruiter Anthony Davis and another star preferably Kyrie. Guess who’s free agency will be a few years after Lebron retires, Ben Simmons he replaces lebron. This has to be appealing to Kyrie and Anthony Davis and there is an inside track when Rich Paul is his agent also.
Australia is a hell of a lot closer to LA then Philly. His girlfriend will want to live in LA if it lasts. It’s warmer. If I was Philly I’d be worried.
You gut the inside info on when LBJ is retiring? Let me just make sure we’re clear here. So A.D. and Kyrie will go to LA because there’s a chance LeBron retires when Simmons becomes a FA? And Simmons will come to LA because it’s so much closer to Australia?! And his present day Kardashian girlfriend would want him too? Damn! Your right I bet Philly is having a hard time sleeping!!
Makes sense, joemoes, but you won’t get many up-votes for your comment because it DOES make sense… seems on this sight nobody wants anyone to “seem” smarter than them, so when there’s a decent comment, they either dont vote it or down-vote it. Your comment had valid points. And, Simmons will be ready to go West by then – at the same time LeBron is coming back East to finish up where he started.
@joemoes no sense. Irving was never planned for LA, by any relevant person. He is basing this fantasy on some GF’s preference and assuming Irving and Davis both are already in LA, presumably with James too, all 4 incl Simmons with maxes? Just layers of dumb.
And he never said Simmons & James will switch conferences; their contracts do not coincide.
Celtics fan since the 80s but a real hallmark of the Ainge era is its total lack of loyalty to any player on their roster. That certainly has—and will continue to—cost them.
Agree 100%. Players notice that.