LeBron James and his former teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of their historic championship with a raucous vacation in Europe.
James, Kevin Love, JR Smith, Richard Jefferson, Iman Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova, Channing Frye, and Tristan Thompson had a blast reliving their glory days, showing that they will be forever bonded by their inspired run in 2016.
After their return to the United States, Thompson guested on “Club Shay Shay” to talk about their reunion trip and winning a ring with the Cavaliers, among other topics. He said their team is up there with the all-time greats because of James and Kyrie Irving. He stressed that people do not fully realize how good Irving is.
“If Kyrie were two inches taller, he’d be the best player to ever touch a basketball on planet Earth,” claimed Thompson.
“Have you ever seen Kyrie get his shot blocked? Never. And he’s only, what, 6’2″, 6’3″? Imagine he was 6’5″, what he could do right now? It’d be out of this world.”
“If @KyrieIrving was 2 inches taller, he’d be the best player to ever touch a basketball on planet earth. Have you ever seen Kyrie get his shot blocked? Never. And he's only what, 6'2", 6'3"? Imagine he was 6'5", what he could do right now?" –@TThompson pic.twitter.com/z4vOGLP3oY
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) July 2, 2026
Of course, Irving hit the iconic game-winner in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors in 2016 and had countless memorable performances with the Cavaliers, including dropping 57 points against the San Antonio Spurs in 2015.
Thompson added that Irving “has no flaws in the game.” He also recalled the moment he knew that Irving was an extraordinary talent.
“I remember we were playing against Roy Hibbert during his (Irving) rookie year. This was Roy Hibbert Defensive Player of the Year. He was laying ’em up like it was nothing. Like nothing! I’m like, ‘This kid is special,'” shared Thompson.
Irving, who is now with the Dallas Mavericks, was sidelined last season due to an ACL injury. He is expected to make a full recovery in the coming months.
