On Wednesday evening, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics finally completed the trade swapping Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas.
Irving’s departure has elicited a heartfelt response from Irving to the Cavs’ fan base about his time with the organization. Starting center Tristan Thompson also took to social media to voice his appreciation for his time together with the four-time All-Star point guard he entered the league with.
There is a special connection given that both of them came into the league in the same year as the Cavaliers’ two first-round draft picks in the 2011 NBA Draft. Irving was the top overall selection in the draft while Thompson was taken a couple of picks later at the fourth overall spot.
The two have been through the various highs and low with the organization over their first six years in the league. They went from being well out of the playoff picture while sitting at the bottom of the standings to reaching three straight NBA Finals once LeBron James arrived that includes winning the team’s first championship back in 2015.
Irving and Thompson have been two of the core pieces to the puzzle for the Cavaliers that helped turn the franchise into the standard bearers in the Eastern Conference over the last few seasons.
