The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing in their fourth consecutive NBA Finals despite trading star point guard and 2016 NBA Finals hero Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics in the offseason.
The Cavs only made it back to the Finals due to the unquestioned greatness of LeBron James, who drug them past the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. In an interview prior to Cleveland’s Game 1 loss to the Golden State Warriors, James noted he did not believe the Cavs should have traded Irving, a star who James had been in many battles with.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert disagrees, however. Gilbert took to Twitter shortly after James’ interview and doubled down on the trade.
First, he lauded the play of James and his teammates during what was a trying season.
(1/3) @cavs fans, despite multiple challenges, we have arrived at the NBA Finals for the 4th year in a row w/the opportunity to win our 2nd ring in 3 yrs. The biggest 3 reasons (among many) we are again here in Oakland a few minutes from the tip-off to Game 1 of the Finals are…
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) June 1, 2018
(2/3) 1. LeBron James – No words describe his level of play & commitment to this game. His impact is magical. We go as he goes.
2. The dedication & underlying belief of KLove, TT, JR , Korver, Green, G.Hill, Larry, Clarkson, Cedi, Ante, Perk & every other player on this roster
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) June 1, 2018
And then Gilbert claimed the Cavs would not be in the Finals had the Irving trade not been made.
(3/3) 3. Trade 1.0 last summer & Trade 2.0 at the deadline led by a humble, talented, young GM: Koby Altman.
W/o either of these 2 bold moves orchestrated by Koby & the @Cavs front office, we would not be here w/ a good chance to bring another one home to CLE. #WhateverItTakes
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) June 1, 2018
Slow your roll there, Dan.
Irving is one of the 10 best players in the NBA and the Cavs have missed having another dynamic scorer to help James carry the offensive load.
Cleveland received Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round draft pick for Irving. But the Cavs dealt Thomas and Crowder during the season for the collection of Jordan Clarkson, George Hill, Rodney Hood and Larry Nance Jr.
While Hill and Nance have provided good minutes for Cleveland in the playoffs, Clarkson has been ice cold from the field and Hood played his way out of the rotation in the ECF.
Gilbert subtweeting James also isn’t going to make the 33-year-old star want to stick around after this season. But it’s no secret there is no love lost between the King James and the Cavs owner, and with the lack of talent surrounding him in The Land, it’s more likely than not that James is heading out of Northeast Ohio.
