Kyrie Irving Apologizes to LeBron About His Behavior in Cleveland

Kyrie Irving Apologizes to LeBron About His Behavior in Cleveland

By: Francis Joseph

Kyrie Irving said he regretted criticizing his younger teammates, then he made a call to a former teammate he also owed an apology.

The Celtics point guard said on Wednesday that he called LeBron James over the weekend to apologize for failing to understand the burden the four-time NBA MVP carried when they played together on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I had to call Bron, and tell him I apologize for being that young player that wanted everything at his fingertips,” Irving said after the Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 118-107 on Wednesday night. “I wanted to be the guy that led us to a championship. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to be all that.”

Returning after missing the previous game with a bruised right leg, Irving hit a foul-line fadeaway to give Boston the lead for good, then hit a 31-foot 3-pointer to finish with 27 points. He had 10 points and six of his career-high 18 assists in the fourth quarter — including passes to set up Boston’s last three baskets in a game-ending 17-4 run.

“Somehow people still think I can’t pass,” Irving said. “When guys are making shots, it made my job a lot easier.”

The win snapped a three-game losing streak — all on the road. In lengthy comments after a loss in Orlando on Saturday, Irving called out his less-experienced teammates and said: “We have a lot of learning to do.”