A few things were picked up by LeBron James during his four season with the Miami Heat. Some of it was on how to make your co-stars happy and fit superstars together in one system. Maybe that’s why before his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers begins, he’s trying very hard to make Kyrie Irving feel more important than he actually is.
No matter what the hierarchy was before, the moment James touches down somewhere he becomes the main attraction. Dwyane Wade might be the best athlete in the history of Miami sports, but even he stepped aside to make the best of the situation. The first season was something of a mess when it came to who is actually running things. The second and third seasons, with the two championships mind you; everything was a lot clearer.
He’s our point guard. He’s our floor general, and we need him to put us in position to succeed offensively. He has to demand that and command that from us with him handling the ball. I’ll handle the ball a little bit, but this is Kyrie’s show.
Irving needs the confidence boost, probably. He came to the Cavaliers as a savior. He never managed to get the team too close to the playoffs. At one point last season, it was a decent argument to make – suggesting the Cavaliers might be better off without him on the floor. Irving wants to be the main act – you see it when he plays in All-Star games and for Team USA in Spain, winning the MVP of the Basketball World Championship.
The special thing about James is that he knows how to step aside. Maybe not in the long run, but he’s intelligent enough when in certain moments it’s someone else who has to shine. Like every other person who is great at what he does, James has an ego, but it rarely seems to get in his way of making the right decisions, at least on the basketball court. James is a point forward who can play bigger as well, but he can find what to do even when the ball is in the hands of Kyrie Irving.
Kevin Love doesn’t need the same kind of ‘pick me up’ because he’s a new arrival who hasn’t worn out his welcome. Irving lost some credit last season among Cavaliers fans. Bringing two players to share the ‘face of the franchise’ label with him will only do him a world of good. But words are wind as it was written more than once by George RR Martin. Seeing the trio and especially James and Irving mesh on the court will take more than one game and a deceleration.