Overview
- Lue says he told James about the Celtics deal during a foundation autograph session, where James dropped his marker and sat silently for about 10 minutes.
- According to Lue, Irving had already decided to leave Cleveland despite the coach pleading to keep the pairing, likening the breakup to Kobe and Shaq.
- Lue contends the Cavaliers might have won multiple titles if Irving had stayed and Kevin Durant had not joined Golden State, a hypothetical he framed as belief rather than fact.
- Irving has recently described his 2017 exit as a choice to step out of James' spotlight and pursue his own path away from constant media narratives.
- Not all former players agree with Lue's depiction, as Jeff Teague questioned whether James was deeply affected, while James is now with the Lakers and Irving with the Mavericks.