According to NBA insider Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving wanted the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade for Paul George after the 2017 Finals.
The Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals in five games. LeBron and Irving shared a vision for the future that included Cleveland trading for George, who was on the Indiana Pacers.
However, the Cavaliers weren’t able to acquire George, who was traded by the Pacers to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Irving later requested a trade from Cleveland and was sent to the Boston Celtics and LeBron left the Cavaliers in the summer of 2018 for the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Another source close to both players points to an emotional players-only meeting in the locker room following Game 5 of the 2017 Finals in which James and Irving talked at length not only about the season they’d just played but a shared vision for the future that included trading for then-Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George,” Shelburne wrote. “George told ESPN that he and James had dinner at James’ house in Los Angeles following the 2017 season and discussed a potential partnership.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
LeBron and Irving were teammates for three seasons on the Cavaliers. The two superstars played in three straight Finals and won the 2016 title together. Cleveland became the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-1 series deficit in the Finals.
Irving shocked the NBA world when he requested a trade from the Cavaliers in the summer of 2017. The Duke product no longer wanted to play with LeBron, arguably the greatest player in NBA history.
“Kyrie and LeBron were not as toxic as Shaq [O’Neal] and Kobe [Bryant], but there’s a lot of similarities,” one source close to the situation told ESPN. “Kobe wanted to prove he could win without Shaq. And he did. But you always wonder what would’ve happened if they’d stayed together. Just like you wonder what would’ve happened if [Stephon] Marbury and [Kevin] Garnett would’ve stayed together.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
It would have certainly been fun to watch LeBron, Irving and George play together. The Cavaliers may have been able to beat the Warriors in the 2018 Finals.
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