Kyrie Irving needs to listen to Draymond Green.
The words of the loquacious forward directed at Paul Pierce during an epic trash-talking session last season fit the former No. 1 overall pick like a fine, tailored European suit.
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In context, Green was keeping it funky with the now-retired Pierce, letting him know his legacy — or lack thereof — wasn't worthy of an elaborate farewell tour such as the one the entire league participated in during the former Lakers great's final season in 2015-16. He wasn't lying.
Apparently, Irving thinks he can follow in the footsteps of the "Black Mamba," who won a pair of titles after playing Robin to Shaquille O'Neal's Batman during the Lakers' three-peat in the early 2000s. Late Friday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Irving, who earned a ring in 2016 as four-time MVP LeBron James' trusted sidekick, told Cavaliers' brass he wants to be traded. ESPN's Chris Haynes followed up with four preferred destinations.
ESPN Sources: On Kyrie Irving front, Cavs were given four preferred landing spots: New York, Miami, San Antonio, Minnesota.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 21, 2017
Chief among Irving's reasons for wanting out: the desire to be the focal point of a team's offense. He also reportedly doesn't want to play with James anymore. James, who's been in North Carolina along with the rest of his family as his sons participate in a national youth basketball tournament, was, as Windhorst put it, "blindsided" by the news.
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Granted, there could be much more to this than meets the eye. After all, Dan Gilbert still owns the Cavaliers. Signing Jeff Green and Jose Calderon and re-signing Kyle Korver have been the only moves Cleveland has made this summer. Meanwhile, the Celtics, the Cavaliers' biggest competition in the Eastern Conference, added All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward (21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game) to a team that won 53 games last year.
Out West, Houston picked up nine-time All-Star and four-time assists leader Chris Paul to partner with James Harden (29.1 ppg, 11.2 apg, 8.1 rpg) in the backcourt. Paul George was shipped to Oklahoma City to give MVP Russell Westbrook an All-Star caliber running mate after lone-rangering last season in the immediate aftermath of the departure of Kevin Durant.
That's not to mention the Warriors, fresh off a cakewalk through the playoffs, locked down Durant and Stephen Curry, winners of three of the last four MVP awards, for the foreseeable future. They also scooped up Nick Young, a 40.4 percent 3-point shooter and one of the league's best gunners in spot-up situations in 2016-17 to strengthen a lineup that also includes 2016 3-point contest champion Klay Thompson.
Oh yeah, and the Cavaliers, since letting David Griffin walk four days before the NBA Draft because, uh... still don't have a general manager. It's a series of missteps which has caused both James and Irving to scratch their heads, if not kick their feet, in frustration.
But if this is purely a basketball — and not a business of basketball — decision by Irving, he must've fallen and bumped his head on something hard.
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For starters, he wouldn't be the No. 1 option in two of his four proposed destinations. Nobody is unseating two-way star Kawhi Leonard, third behind only Westbrook (30.70) and Durant (27.68) with a player efficiency rating of 27.62, in San Antonio. Minnesota is building around 21-year-old Karl-Anthony Towns and his 25.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
Furthermore, we've already seen this movie, and the ending is horrible. Unlike Bryant, prior to parting ways with O'Neal, Irving has already been the alpha dog for a franchise. As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft, he was tapped to lead the Cavs after James infamously decided to take his talents to South Beach in 2010. In the three seasons preceding James' return to Cleveland (with Irving starring as leading scorer each year), the Cavs went a combined 78-152 and landed the top pick in the draft twice.
Here's footage of Irving asking former teammate Mike Miller if a regular-season game against the Bulls in 2014 felt like a playoff game. (The game was played on Oct. 31, only the second game of the regular season.)
And before you write off those early years as Irving being a youngster trying to carry an awful roster, keep in mind what happens to his current team when LeBron leaves the floor.
Just gonna leave this here ... Cavs with Kyrie Irving ON, LeBron James OFF last season: -120 in 635 minutes.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) July 21, 2017
At 25, Irving is just a year younger than Bryant was in 2004 when the Lakers handed him the keys to the kingdom and traded away O'Neal, the most dominant force in the game at the time much like James is today. And he's got the same insane confidence/cockiness at three inches shorter and about 25 pounds lighter.
In a 2012 Team USA scrimmage, before injuries robbed Bryant of his powers, Irving was willing to bet $50,000 he could beat the future Hall of Famer in a game of 1-on-1.
He was tripping then, and he's tripping even harder now.