LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and the choice that haunts the Los Angeles Lakers،
THERE IS EXACTLY 124 courtside seats inside Crypto.com Arena for every Los Angeles Lakers home game. Getting a pair for any game is not an easy task. For businesses, this is an investment, not a luxury. For celebrities, they are the ultimate status symbol. No one goes to all the trouble to secure them without an agenda.
That's why so many heads turned and cell phone cameras broke before Game 6 of the Lakers' first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies. It was April 28, 2023. The Lakers were down three games to two and looking to advance past the first round for the first time since their championship in the Orlando bubble in 2020. The atmosphere was electric. Eighty-six-year-old Jack Nicholson even came for a rare public appearance to sit in the courtroom seats he has occupied since the 1970s.
Minutes before the announcement, a man in a smart black and white shirt walked toward two courtside seats across from the Lakers bench. And it didn't take long for his presence to be noticed. It was Kyrie Irving.
During pregame warmups, Lakers star LeBron James walked up to his former teammate, gave him the same elaborate handshake they found in Cleveland, and shook him in his arms.
Irving is living in Los Angeles during the offseason and he had an open schedule after the Dallas Mavericks failed to make the playoffs. But he was also set to become a free agent and, according to sources close to him, Irving had every interest in reuniting with James – the man with whom he won an NBA championship as the Cavaliers in 2016 – either in Los Angeles . Angeles or Dallas.
Irving was there, sources close to him say, to send that message.
For nearly a year, the Lakers continued internal discussions about whether to pursue Irving via trade or free agency, sources said. They had called the Brooklyn Nets to express interest in trading for him multiple times since June 2022, when Irving and the Nets failed to reach an agreement on a long-term extension. They weighed the risks of investing in the mercurial, often controversial point guard against the benefits of his still-prodigious talent and obvious fit with James and Anthony Davis.
James was open to the idea, according to sources, but he was careful not to do anything that could be seen as incitement while the organization was still trying to move on from the unfortunate experience with Russell Westbrook.
Three weeks later, Irving reappeared, this time for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, a series the Lakers would lose to the Denver Nuggets, the future NBA champions.
But by then, the Lakers' choice to pursue Irving had become moot. The Mavericks owned his Bird rights and were determined to maintain the partnership with Luka Doncic. And the Lakers had just had a shocking run in the Western Conference. So, hours after free agency opened, Irving re-signed with the Mavs for three years and $126 million, while the Lakers prioritized continuity and increased margins, retaining their own free agents – Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves -. and the acquisition of guard Gabe Vincent from the Miami Heat.
At the time, the Lakers were praised for their shrewd offseason. For their courage in trusting in the winning mix they had built at the trade deadline. For learning from the Westbrook experience by focusing on team building rather than chasing stars.
There was some internal debate over whether the team had enough speed to keep up with the light-footed guards in the Western Conference, but ultimately, according to sources, the team decided it wasn't a problem she had to answer for now.
Seven months later, with the trade deadline now 23 days away and Davis and James, 39, both healthy and playing as well as they ever have together, the impact of this choice reverberates with every defeat, with every murmur of frustration over the alignment. inconsistencies, every game in which the Lakers are outshot or running away from the court.
Irving, for his part, has avoided the off-field incidents that derailed his time in Brooklyn and gave pause to teams considering a long-term commitment to him. He has regained his stature as one of the NBA's best playmakers as he leads the Mavericks (24-17) into Wednesday's game (ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET) against the Lakers (20-21) , while James & Co… have struggled to find consistent point guard play all season and sit just one game better than they were at this point last year.
“I don't think I blame [the Lakers] for doing what they did,” a Western Conference official told ESPN. “Kyrie hadn't proven he could be stable, like he has been this season. [And] LeBron is both the most vital player in an organization, but also the ultimate force multiplier who totally makes you believe you're better than you are because he makes everything work. »
THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL The question the Lakers must address as they pass the halfway point of the season and evaluate their team ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline is: Was last year's playoffs a mirage fueled by James?
The biggest personnel change from last year's group was the swap of Dennis Schroder for Vincent at point guard — a move that sources say was as much about the team's search for a bigger role. Schroder that the Lakers' preference for Vincent's shooting and space. -creative capacity.
Vincent missed all but five games with a knee injury, while Schroder thrived with the Toronto Raptors.
What is indisputable, however, is the historical burden that James carries.
Since December 12 and the Lakers' tournament victory to win the first NBA Cup, James has brought the ball up 30.6 possessions per game, or 50% more than in Los Angeles' first 23 games. His touches per match: up almost 20%. His passes per match: up 23%. His minutes per game: up more than 8%, up to 36 per game.
But the Lakers largely lose James' minutes over this period, led by 118 points when James is on the floor. It was his worst plus-minus in a 15-game stretch since joining the Lakers.
“It’s just too much for Bron right now,” a rival player whose team recently beat the Lakers told ESPN. “Everyone is just going to pack the paint and try to frustrate him because they need a lot. Speed. Player. Shooting.”
All areas in which Irving excels.
FOR THOSE WHO Given the way Irving and James' tenure ended in Cleveland, it might be difficult to envision a reunion. Irving requested a trade after the 2017 campaign, apparently to prove he could lead his own team — and leave town before James had the chance to leave as a free agent the following season.
It was one of the most shocking trade demands in recent NBA history, following a string of three consecutive NBA Finals appearances.
“Kyrie and LeBron weren't as toxic as Shaq [O’Neal] and Kobe [Bryant], but there are a lot of similarities,” a source close to the situation told ESPN. “Kobe wanted to prove he could win without Shaq. And he did it. But we still wonder what would have happened if they had stayed together. Just like you wonder what would have happened if [Stephon] Marbury and [Kevin] Garnett would have stayed together.”
Another source close to the two players recalls an emotional meeting reserved for the players in the locker room after Game 5 of the 2017 Finals during which James and Irving spoke at length not only about the season they had just played, but also about a common vision for the future. this included trading for then-Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George.
George told ESPN that he and James had dinner at James' home in Los Angeles after the 2017 season and discussed a potential partnership.
There have been several iterations of trade discussions, first before the NBA draft by former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, then by current Cleveland general manager Koby Altman, who took over when Griffin left.
Ultimately, those discussions, which included the Nuggets, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, resulted in an unprotected first-round pick, which the Cavaliers declined to include without a long-term commitment from James.
George was then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Irving then requested a trade and was sent to the Boston Celtics. A year later, James signed with the Lakers.
This is one of the great sliding door moments in recent NBA history. And it comes up every time James and Irving play against each other rather than against each other.
Outside of an All-Star Game, that's probably how it will stay between James and Irving.
Obviously, Irving is happy in Dallas and how he has been received.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are 6-12 since the end of the season tournament. They have been outscored by 94 points in that span when James and Davis are both on the floor. LeBron shoots 11 percentage points less on layups and dunks. The Lakers' offense ranks 29th in average speed and 28th in average time on or off, according to Second Spectrum tracking.
The choice to go back, the fog of surprising success, has led to a most precarious moment – one that could determine both the short- and long-term future of the franchise.
James and the Lakers will once again look to improve at the trade deadline, but they have little way to significantly rebuild the roster.
All that's left is a shared story and a laundry list of what-ifs.
