Despite their past differences, LeBron James has nothing but praise for Kyrie Irving, his former teammate who has led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals.
After last year's disappointing exit from the playoffs, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks are on the cusp of NBA glory. The Mavs acquired Irving at last year's trade deadline, hoping to make a deep playoff run, but the team fell short.
This season, however, they have returned with a vengeance, and are now just four wins away from their first title since 2011. Their opponents in the NBA Finals are none other than Irving's former team, the Boston Celtics.
Irving left the Cavaliers for Boston after playing alongside James, with whom he won a championship in 2016. However, things did not work out in Boston, and Irving eventually landed in Dallas.
There has been much speculation about James' and Irving's relationship since that trade, but James has nothing but love for his former teammate.
"There was nothing on the basketball floor that Kyrie couldn't do. And sitting here watching it, I'm like, I'm playing like, so f---ing happy and so proud to watch him continue his growth and whatever the case may be, and at the same time, I am so f---ing mad at the same time that I am not his running mate anymore," James said on his podcast with his likely-soon-to-be head coach JJ Redick.
James added that he was "disappointed" his Los Angeles Lakers didn't get him at the deadline, and delivered even higher praise for Irving.
"I have so many words to praise Kyrie that I end up with absolutely none, because it's just, it's so, he's the most gifted player the NBA has ever seen," James quipped. "He has the best gifts I've ever seen of any NBA player. I've never seen a guy in my NBA life that feels better at times shooting with his off-hand than he does with his primary hand. If Kyrie's off in a game with his right hand, he will literally go exclusively to his left hand. I've never seen nothing like that."
The NBA Finals will be a clash of two titans, with the Celtics looking for their first title in 16 years and the Mavericks aiming for their second championship in franchise history.
Whether or not the Mavericks can overcome the Celtics remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Irving has the potential to be a game-changer. With his incredible talent and his newfound determination, Irving could lead the Mavericks to NBA glory.
In the end, the outcome of the NBA Finals will be determined by a number of factors, including the health of the players, the team's chemistry, and the execution of the coaches' game plans. However, one thing is for sure: Irving will be a major factor in the series.
