Boston Celtics player Kyrie Irving has apologized to LeBron James for the way he treated the superstar when the two were teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to ABC News 5, Irving expressed his thoughts in a post-game interview after the Celtics lost to the Orlando Magic Saturday 103-105. Sports Notes shared a clip of the interview on Twitter in which the 26-year-old opens up about why he called LeBron shortly after the game.
Kyrie Irving called LeBron James following Saturday’s loss to the Magic. ????#CUsRise
#LakeShow
pic.twitter.com/UMG1u2Swca— Sports Notes (@TheSportsNotes) January 17, 2019
"Obviously, this was a big deal for me, because I had to call [LeBron] and tell him I apologized for being that young player that wanted everything at his fingertips, and I wanted everything at my threshold," Irving shared.
"I wanted to be the guy that led us to a championship. I wanted to be the leader," he said of his time in Cleveland. "I wanted to be all that, and the responsibility of being the best in the world and leading your team is something that is not meant for many people."
Now that he is the leader, Irving said he sees things a little bit differently.
He openly expressed his frustration with coach Brad Stevens and small forward Gordon Hayward near the end of Saturday's game and said the loss to the Magic brought him back to how LeBron handled big losses, particularly during his first year again with the Cavs.
"[LeBron's] been in this situation," Irving said. "He's been there with me, where I've been the young guy … wanting everything right now, coming off an All-Star Year. And then this heck of a presence comes back and now I've got to adjust my game to this guy. You take it personal, but at the end of the day, he just wants what's best [for everyone]."
Going forward, the Celtic said he hopes to emulate James' successful leadership style.
"What that brought me back to is: how do I get the best out of this group and helping them realize what it takes to win a championship," Irving concluded.
MSN reports Irving had a chance to take over the Cavs from LeBron, who was open to trying something new, but the Australian-born player chose to trade teams and head to Boston instead.
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