The irony of Kyrie Irving requesting a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2017 to escape LeBron James’ shadow is that the NBA superstars actually are a lot alike.
Irving, now in his second season with the Boston Celtics, has acted like James on several occasions this season, specifically when it comes to leadership tactics, and that fact isn’t lost on Chris Broussard.
Broussard explained Monday on FS1’s “Undisputed” how Irving is following in James’ footsteps.
"Kyrie really is following in LeBron James' footsteps. During the regular season, there was drama — a lot of it created by him. Come postseason, flip a switch, everything is good and now they're rolling. He really seems to be following in LeBron's footsteps." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/B0PGXirdFS
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) April 29, 2019
The Celtics, who swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series Sunday. It’s been an up-and-down 2018-19 campaign for the C’s, who entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 4 seed, but Irving and Co. seem to have flipped a switch, turning Boston into a legitimate NBA Finals contender.
It’ll be interesting to see how Irving approaches this offseason, as he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent. Broussard, for one, would like to see Irving team up with Kevin Durant — another potential superstar free agent — on the New York Knicks, although it might be difficult for either star to leave his current team.
"I would love to see KD and Kyrie go to New York. But Kyrie is in a phenomenal situation. You got a great organization, a great supporting cast, great coach, he's a superstar. And they'll probably get Anthony Davis if he stays." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/WmAwhJFLZZ
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) April 29, 2019
Irving, the No. 1 overall pick in 2011, spent his first six seasons with the Cavaliers and won an NBA title alongside James in 2016. He’s now hoping to secure a ring as the face of the Celtics, in turn proving he doesn’t need to ride James’ coattails to achieve championship glory.
