Will the Cleveland Cavaliers retire Kyrie Irving’s number?

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their game against the Brooklyn Nets this week, a seven-point defeat that saw the Nets get unstoppably hot from 3-point range. That allowed the Nets to survive a 46-point performance from Darius Garland, his second such high-scoring night of the season.

For the Nets, Kyrie Irving led the way with 32 points and adjusted to Cleveland’s size inside by hitting a wide variety of outside shots. He went 7-for-11 from 3-point range and 4-for-6 from the midrange. Most teams get flummoxed by the Cavs’ rim protection, but Irving just settled in from further out and drained jumper after jumper.

The vintage performance from the former Cleveland Cavaliers point guard prompted some questions after the game, including some directed at Kevin Love, the only current Cavs player to suit up with Kyrie in Cleveland (Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert played with Kyrie briefly in Brooklyn). Love and Irving played three seasons together and went to three NBA Finals, including the franchise’s only championship in 2016.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will one day need to decide whether to retire Kyrie Irving’s number

When asked if Kyrie Irving should one day have his jersey retired by the Cavs and hung in the rafters, Love’s answer was immediate, per cleveland.com: “Without a doubt. Absolutely. Right away, after his career ends.” He continued, “It’s not even a question to me. He needs to be up there. He made the biggest shot in franchise history and one of the most important shots in Finals history when you consider how it all went down — what it meant for the city, what it meant for his legacy, LeBron’s legacy and everything else, including that Golden State team that became a dynasty and was historically great.”

Love is absolutely right – Irving had some impressive accomplishments while with the Cavaliers. He won Rookie of the Year, went to four All-Star Games and made an All-NBA team while in Cleveland. He ranks third in franchise history in points per game with 21.6, 10th in assists and 10th in steals. Despite playing just six seasons with the Cavs he ranks 10th all-time in win shares.

The most impressive accolade for Irving is, of course, the 2016 postseason run. Irving averaged 25.2 points per game and shot 44 percent from 3-point range, hitting at least 30 points in six separate games. His 41-point explosion in Game 5 kept the Cavs alive in Oakland, and in Game 7 he did nothing short than hit the greatest shot in franchise history.

Irving’s track record since leaving the Cavs has been very up and down. He has continued to be a scoring wizard, with one of the best handles in the game and a deep finishing bag, not to mention his smooth jumper. In fact, on the court, he has continued to be an All-Star point guard.

It’s the other stuff that has tarnished his legacy. Promising to re-sign in Boston and then fleeing in free agency months later. Going AWOL on the Nets multiple times for nebulous reasons. Refusing to get vaccinated but never explaining his views in a cogent manner. Most recently, sharing a video promoting anti-Semitism and then aggressively defending himself while trying to keep the moral high ground.

Getting your number retired in Cleveland is nowhere near as difficult as in Boston or Los Angeles. The Cavs don’t have the same decorated history or the same multitude of big-time stars. They have seven retired numbers: Austin Carr, Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance Sr., Nate Thurmond, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Robert “Bingo” Smith.

That’s two players from the first decade of Cavs basketball (Smith and Carr), the elite trio from the Cavs’ run in the late 1980s and early ’90s, Big Z from the early LeBron years and…Thurmond, the most curious name on the list, but perhaps a positive indicator where Irving is concerned. The Hall of Fame big man starred in Golden State but came to the Cavs at the very end of his career. His number is retired probably for his role in leading the Cavs to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1976; in other words, for a dominant postseason run despite a lack of real history with the team.

Should Kyrie Irving have his number enshrined in the rafters of every future Cleveland Cavaliers arena? Yes, he probably should. His impact wasn’t exceptionally long but it was powerful, and without Irving, the Cavs probably don’t have the only title in franchise history. His number should be retired.

Will it? If Irving doesn’t have any more mind-numbingly foolish missteps and steers clear of public outcry, he’s a lock to have his number retired. If he follows his current blueprint, however, and continues to tarnish his public image? The Cavs will probably think twice, or at least let a lot of time pass so those fires can burn down.

Kevin Love is right: Kyrie Irving was exceptionally important to some of the greatest moments in franchise history. Whether it’s immediate or eventual, Irving’s number will be retired by the Cavaliers and hung in the rafters, around where his high-arcing jumper peaks before falling down to earth and right through the net.