Will there be a rivalry between Kyrie Irving and LeBron James

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were once dynamic teammates, now the seed has been planted for them to be even better rivals.

If you were to take their words at face value, it would seem as if Kyrie Irving’s trade request and the narrative that he no longer wanted to play with LeBron James is water under the bridge for the two. However, there’s the slightest hint of bad blood between Irving and James that has remained.

At the Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day, while generally respectful of his former pupil, James’ demeanor and tone showed his frustration with Irving’s decision.

When asked about his feelings about Irving’s trade request and if he reached out to him after news of his request was leaked to the media, James responded at length about his willingness to give Irving the keys to the Cleveland Cavaliers and his desire to help Irving be the best player he could be.

However, James went on to say he hasn’t reached out Irving since their initial conversation and his wondering what he could have done to change the situation.

“You guys know Kyrie”, James quipped. A sly smirk playing across his face as he conjured images of Irving explaining himself to James with abstract philosophical dialogue. Clearly, James’ fondness for Irving had taken a hit – that’s the type of humorous but passive-aggressive statement that shows a hint of James’ frustration with Irving.

It’s ironic that Irving talked about what James could have done during the Celtics Media Day. Reading between the lines it would seem as if there’s something or things that James did, or didn’t do, to get under his skin:

Whatever the case, it seems as if Irving initially dodged the question James asked about what he could have done better. I’m not a relationship expert but James and Irving’s relationship is certainly strained.

Not enough to say that one dislikes the other but enough to make the future matchups between James’ Cavs and Irving’s Celtics must-see TV.

When the two Eastern Conference powers collide for the season opener, it will be the start of a new NBA rivalry.

Irving, a scoring assassin who probably doesn’t feel as if he was respected or revered enough in Cleveland, will lead the Celtics’ charge against the Cavs. He’ll dazzle with sensational moves and acrobatics around the rim as usual, likely with a long enough leash to average thirty points per game.

James, perhaps the best player in NBA history, will face off against a former student who shunned him for individual success. James seems to get better every year and despite the thought that he’s “old”, he’s still very likely the most athletic player in the NBA with a combination of size, strength, speed and explosiveness the league has never seen. Add in what could also be the highest basketball IQ in the game, incredible passing ability and court vision, a dominant post game and the ability to nail outside shots and you get James. A complete NBA player (although we would like to see that free-throw percentage get up, Bron Bron).

The two have gone to three straight NBA Finals and stringing together not only all-time great performances in a championship series but historic moments in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, plays that will remembered for the rest of NBA history. Together, they delivered the Cavs their first title in NBA history and, together, they’ve led the Cavs to the only three NBA Finals the franchise ever reached.

They’re two number one picks that were chosen to lead the Cavs in the dawn of a new era. Since their inception, they’ve been perhaps the most dynamic duo in the NBA.

There’s an incredible history the two have as teammates. Now, will they have an equally impressive history as rivals?

The Celtics, last year’s top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, replaced Isaiah Thomas with Kyrie Irving and Jae Crowder with Jayson Tatum. Conversely, the Cavs (who have had three consecutive NBA Finals appearances, as previously mentioned) replaced Irving with Thomas and while simply adding Crowder as versatile depth and a potential starter. If fully healthy, both teams could be better than they were last year.

(That doesn’t mean other teams, namely the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks don’t have a chance to knock them out of the playoffs though.)

James and Irving could find themselves facing off in the playoffs on an annual basis with quite a few regular season battles in between.

The big question is, what happens if Irving wins or reaches the NBA Finals at James’ expense?

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