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Seven-time All Star Kyrie Irving has said with LeBron James, he could have won more championships against a Kevin Durant-led Golden State Warriors. In three years together, Irving and James helped the Cleveland Cavaliers to three consecutive NBA Finals, all against the Warriors, winning in 2016.
Both James and Irving were integral parts of the championship-winning Cavaliers team. However, just a season after winning the championship, Irving left James to team up with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown at the Boston Celtics
In an interview with 'I AM ATHLETE', the seven-time All-Star explained why he left the Cavaliers. There were reports about a possible rift between him and James, but Irving denied that, saying:
"I definitely feel like if I was in the same maturity level I am now and understanding who I am and I look back on that time then we definitely would have won more championships together because there would have been a better man-to-man understanding about what I'm going through."
He continued:
"I couldn't. I didn't know how to share my emotions. I didn't know how to do that so instead of sharing, I isolated myself, and I just started pouring myself more into the game of basketball, and I had one of my better seasons, but I wasn't connecting with everybody as much during our championship year."
Towards the end of the 2016-17 season, Irving had already made up his mind on a move away from the Cavaliers.
He continued to deliver top-notch performances, helping James lead the Cavs to their third consecutive NBA Finals appearance. The team fell short of their best there against the Golden State Warriors. Irving believes that could be because the team didn't click well, adding:
"In 2017, it was a different year for us, so we went against Golden State we went against a great team, and you're not a great team, and you're not clicking on all cylinders and together, you're easily defeatable, you're defeated before you even get to the arena. We were in those games against Golden State, but we definitely could have given them a run for their money regardless if they had Kev (Kevin Durant)."
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving era in Cleveland was special
Kyrie Irving was already a superstar in the league before LeBron James returned home in 2014. While Irving never made the playoffs, James' return home changed a lot of things in the franchise. In their first season together, the duo put the league on notice by helping the team finish second in the East.
They were legitimate contenders for the 2014-15 championship, but injuries derailed their postseason campaign. After losing Kevin Love to injury in the first round and Kyrie Irving in the first game of the NBA Finals, the Cavs lost 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors.
The very next season, they came fighting back to make another Finals appearance. The Cavs trailed 3-1 and needed some special performances to make their way back into the series.
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James would take center-stage. After tying the series 3-3, the Cavs had to negotiate a Game 7 on the road. The Dubs had some great players in their ranks. However, a memorable clutch shot from Irving and a chase-down block by James helped the Cavs script history, as they won their first championship in franchise history.
The team continued their dominance by finishing second in the East the next season. They went on a rampage in the playoffs, sweeping the Indiana Pacers and the Toronto Raptors. They came out of the East with a comfortable win over the Boston Celtics in the Conference finals, only to get beaten by the Warriors 4-1 in the NBA Finals.
Post that, Irving decided to move on, joining the Celtics after six seasons with the Cavaliers. LeBron James led the team to yet another Finals in 2017-18, but the lack of support his teammates meant the Cavs lost their third Finals against the Warriors in foyr tears.
While Irving and James were together, the Cavs were considered to be one of the best teams in the league. They were explosive and had immense basketball IQ, which made them special. However, the team's fortunes plummeted after Kyrie Irving left in 2017, and LeBron James followed suit a year later.
