Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers posts up against Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James won a championship together as members of the 2016 Cleveland Championship team in 2016.
After James joined the Miami Heat after his first stint with the Cavaliers, Irving was Cleveland’s first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
James, an Akron, Ohio native would later return to Northeast Ohio and together with Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith, the team outlasted being down 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors and won the 2016 NBA Finals in seven games.
While on Instagram Live on Friday evening, Irving was interviewed by close friend, Jeremiah Green, his high school teammate at Elizabeth, New Jersey’s St. Patrick’s high school.
For those keeping score at home: other NBA notables like Al Harrington and Sam Dalembert are alum of the school.
While on Instagram Live, Irving tells Jeremiah Green that he and LeBron James actually connected in a meeting of the minds during the 2011 NBA Finals when James’ Heat played the Dallas Mavericks. “I was at the 2011 Finals when Dallas played Miami,” said Irving.
“I was actually doing like a little mini internship before I got drafted. I had met Bron around that time, as well as in high school, so we had a close relationship then and it was strictly about transferring knowledge. You know, like what does this level look like for you? And I saw it upclose. I got a chance to see it up close and it inspired me. Obviously Miami lost that year, Dallas won on a really really miraculous playoff run. Bron played well, D-Wade played well, it was just very challenging and I learned a lot from that. Then they went on to win back to back championships after that. And you come into the league during that time and they’re just dominating everything. Then you get a chance to play with Bron on that same team? At that level? You better believe if that shot comes to me, I’m going to be ready to take it.”
Ironically, James and Irving crossed paths years ago at James’ basketball camp. Irving was in high school at the time.
While on the Scoop B Radio Podcast a couple of years ago, Irving’s godfather, Rod Strickland told me that Irving put on a show.
“I saw him at the LeBron James camp,” said Strickland.
GettyLeBron James with his chalk toss pregame ritual
“And once I saw him at the LeBron James camp, I mean he was ridiculous. I saw the right hand, the left hand, all the layups and how he maneuvered.”
Strickland had seen Irving dribble the ball from time to time in the backyard and used to tell Irving’s father, Drederick Irving: “He’s going to make you some money.”
But at LeBron James’ Nike camp, Strickland says that Irving put on an absolute show.“He made passes,” he said.
“But he was such a gifted scorer and ball-handler that he could put the ball in the hole. But I knew he was special right away. There are some things that everybody’s not doing, so when I see somebody play with both hands, the way he was playing with it in high school, that’s special. You don’t see that a lot.”