LeBron James has set off plenty of conversation again, this time for putting Kyrie Irving in a rare lane. The Cavaliers legend said Irving is the most skilled player in NBA history, a remark that quickly made the rounds.
That opinion carries extra weight because of how closely their careers overlapped in Cleveland. James and Irving were teammates from 2014-15 through 2017-18, a stretch that sent the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals three straight times and ended with the 2016 title over the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.
Irving’s Cleveland run started long before that championship moment. The Cavaliers took him with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, and he went on to play 381 regular-season games and 52 playoff games for the franchise. In those regular-season appearances, the Duke product averaged 21.6 points and 5.5 assists per game, then bumped that to 23.9 points and 4.7 assists per game in the playoffs.
His resume in Cleveland included four All-Star selections, one All-NBA nod and the 2011-12 Rookie of the Year award. Of course, his defining Cavaliers moment came in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, when he drilled the game-winning 3-pointer over Warriors star Stephen Curry.
James’ own Cleveland body of work is just as massive. In his two stints with the Cavaliers from 2003-10 and 2014-18, he averaged 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in the regular season.
In the playoffs, those numbers climbed to 30.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He won two MVPs, one Finals MVP, and made 10 All-Star teams and 10 All-NBA teams.
James is widely viewed as the greatest player in Cavaliers history, and the source material also notes he’s arguably the top player of all time. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, he leads NBA history in points, field goals, games and minutes. He’s also the only player to rank in the top five all-time in both points and assists, the only one to win three Finals MVPs with three teams, the only one with 40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 career assists, and the only one to reach 50,000 points when combining the regular season and playoffs.
Irving’s path after Cleveland has taken him to the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks, and he is currently in Dallas. His departure from the Cavaliers came in the summer of 2017, when he requested a trade because he no longer wanted to be in James’ shadow.
James’ own career has kept moving too. He has played for the Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, and the leading scorer in NBA history signed a two-year deal with the 76ers this offseason.
In Other News...
Jarrett Allen Is Making Cleveland's Trade Calls Look Ridiculous
Jarrett Allen has been one of the steadier reasons the Cavaliers have stayed on track since he arrived in Cleveland during the 2020-21 season, and this year he has only strengthened that case. His scoring and rebounding have ticked up, his shot selection has looked sharper, and even his willingness to step outside and test a three-point shot has added a new layer to what he brings every night.
The bigger point for Cleveland is how closely Allens production keeps lining up with winning. He has remained a defensive anchor, and his early-season block numbers have underscored just how much ground he can cover around the rim. For a team that once had to wonder whether the move for him would age well, Allen keeps making those old trade calls look more and more lopsided. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Closing Decisions Made This Thunder Loss Even Tougher
The Cavaliers and Thunder spent most of the night trading punches in a game that felt like it could swing on every possession, with 23 lead changes underscoring just how tight it was. Cleveland had to juggle its rotation without Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson, which pushed the staff toward multiple three-guard looks and made every closing decision feel a little more delicate than usual.
Meleek Thomas was part of that equation in a big way, making his first NBA start and giving Cleveland a useful burst of energy and production in extended minutes. Even with that kind of contribution, the final stretch still came down to execution and shot-making, and the Cavaliers were left with a loss that stung because they were right there until the end. [Read more 🡒]
Cleveland Cant Afford To Lose This Rare Power Bat
Clevelands offseason conversation has already turned to payroll, but Terry Pluto is making the case that one of the clubs rare right-handed power sources should be near the top of the spending list. Jo Adell arrived in the middle of the season and immediately filled a need the Guardians have struggled to solve, giving them a bat with the kind of pop that can change a lineups shape even when the overall numbers are modest.
Adell hit .244 with a .740 OPS in 48 regular-season games, and Plutos point was less about the stat line than the fit. With the Guardians facing budget limits and another round of labor uncertainty ahead, he argued the front office should be willing to absorb the arbitration cost if it means keeping a hitter who brings a skill set the roster does not have much of, especially when compared with other pending decisions such as free agent Foster Griffin. [Read more 🡒]