The NBA Finals are set to begin, but this year LeBron James will not be competing once again. Despite making it to the championship series 10 times, James has fallen short in the playoffs three out of the last four seasons. In 2022, his Los Angeles Lakers did not even make it to the play-in tournament, despite having Russell Westbrook as a teammate.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving, who played with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers for three consecutive finals appearances, will be participating in this year’s finals. In a recent podcast episode of “Mind the Game,” James expressed his disappointment that he would no longer be Irving’s teammate and praised him as the most gifted player the NBA has ever seen.
Irving responded graciously to James’ comments, expressing his appreciation for the kind words. The Lakers had made two attempts to acquire Irving before he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks last year. Now, as Irving’s Mavericks face off against the Boston Celtics in the Finals, many Lakers fans may find themselves rooting for Irving and his team. However, they may also feel a sense of longing, wishing that Irving had joined their team instead. Despite missing out on this opportunity, Lakers fans will likely still support Irving as he competes in these NBA Finals.
