Kyrie Andrew Irving. Cleveland Cavaliers All Star. Owner of arguably the best handles in the NBA. Creator of conflict? Well, that’s how Kobe Bryant sees Irving being more useful to the Cavs in ways no one has ever imagined.
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After the Cavaliers’ recent win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center, Bryant shared his two-cents worth on what the reigning Eastern Conference champions lack. Going back to his comments after the Lakers’ momentous upset over the Golden State Warriors about a week ago, the future Hall of Famer identified Draymond Green as the one who has to create a sort of necessary conflict in the locker room. For him, it’s one important ingredient to a team’s success which Cleveland does not have.
But according to Jason Lloyd’s recent piece for the Akron Beacon Journal, Bryant sees someone in the Cavaliers’ locker room who can play that part.
“You have to be true to who you are and authentic, and I think every team should have that lightning rod because the happy-go-lucky stuff doesn’t work, I don’t care what anybody says. You have to have that inner-conflict, you have to have that person that’s really driving these things. From the Cavs perspective, it’s hard for me to tell from afar who should be that person. LeBron’s not that person. He brings people together, that’s what he does naturally and he’s phenomenal at it, but you have to have somebody else that’s going to create that tension. Maybe it’s Kyrie.”
This may have come as a surprise but putting one’s self in Bryant’s shoes, he does have a legit basis on his choice. Afterall, he and Kyrie Irving spent some time together training for USA Basketball, wherein a video came out featuring Irving trash talking and challenging him to a one-on-one game. That particular exchange could easily be interpreted as Irving being playful, but perhaps Bryant saw otherwise.
In the Lakers’ championship runs, Kobe Bryant’s competitive nature was an easy source of locker room fire. That’s something we haven’t seen from Kyrie Irving, but if he is able to channel his inner rage and fire up his demeanor, then it may just help in keeping the team always on the edge.
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The only drawback is the media potentially blowing things out of proportion when their “sources” sense something going on within the team. But Irving and the Cavs know it’s the least of their problems.