“Eventually viewed by Irving as a subtle lack of respect” – Kyrie Irving grew angry with LeBron James for always calling him a ‘kid’ in Cleveland originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James made three straight trips to the NBA Finals together and won a championship, but the partnership was never as connected as it looked. They got along well enough to win but never built a strong bond.
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There was always some distance, and over time, that gap started to matter more.
“Together, over three years, the duo played in two All-Star Games and three Finals,” Jackie MacMullan wrote in a 2018 ESPN piece. “They weren’t particularly close, nor were they openly at odds. Teammates say LeBron’s habit of referring to Irving as ‘the kid’ and his ‘little brother’ was eventually viewed by Irving as a subtle lack of respect.”
The first crack
The issue even spilled into the media. During one press conference, a reporter asked Irving if he viewed LeBron as a “father figure.” The question went viral almost immediately. Irving’s reaction — shaking his head and laughing in disbelief — said more than words could.
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To many, it highlighted the underlying tension. He never wanted to be seen as someone who needed guidance. He wanted to be seen as a peer.
James likely didn’t mean any disrespect with his nicknames. He had always seen himself as a big brother figure to younger teammates. But Irving didn’t want a role. He wanted a seat at the same table.
One teammate, asked not to go on record, said the Cavs told players not to talk about Irving publicly. That same teammate recalled James once saying he believed Irving would be the NBA Most Valuable Player one day.
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The relationship never exploded. It just frayed. And when the edges wore down, it was clear they hadn’t built enough real connection to hold it together.
When James returned to Cleveland in 2014, everything changed. The team went from young and rebuilding to chasing a title overnight. That included Irving. In the locker room, he was no longer the rising face of the franchise. He was now the second option.
“Now consider how Irving’s role changed overnight when LeBron returned to Cleveland in 2014,” MacMullan wrote. “James chose to rejoin the Cavs in part because he was intrigued by the gifted young point guard. But LeBron’s presence created an unforeseen challenge for Irving.”
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“I had already been playing against him for [three] years,” Irving said of James. “Now I felt like I had to show not only him but the rest of the team that I was able to play at the highest level.”
Kyrie’s identity
Irving was never one to play for someone else’s approval. But he admitted the shift made things harder. He was trying to figure out how to lead a team that no longer needed him to lead.
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He still had the ball in his hands. He still hit the biggest shot in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals. But behind the scenes, the dynamic never clicked.
James meant no harm calling him “the kid.” Irving didn’t say it was a slight. But in a setting where every word holds weight, even small things matter. Over time, that nickname sounded more like a ceiling than affection.
And once that feeling took hold, there was no real way to go back.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.