Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving claps back at LeBron James narrative: 'See what happens'

By Vinny Somma | Last updated 8/1/23

Over a decade into his playing career, Kyrie Irving remains one of the league's prominent talents at the point guard position. However, his postseason success has taken a nosedive ever since his departure from Cleveland where he appeared in three NBA finals series—winning one—alongside then-Cavaliers star LeBron James.

Criticism surrounding Irving has grown exponentially in recent years as he's jumped to three different teams since 2017 (Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks), failing to help bolster his squad into title contention.

On Tuesday, the eight-time All-Star sent a clear message to his doubters, guaranteeing to change the negative narrative that he can't flourish without James as a teammate.

“Pin this tweet and see what happens in the next few years,” wrote Irving on Twitter in response to a graphic underlining the guard's lack of success over the past six seasons.

Pin this tweet and see what happens in the next few years.

Hélà
♾
— Chief Hélà (@KyrieIrving) August 1, 2023

In terms of Irving's production, he remains as elite as ever, averaging 25.8 points and 5.9 assists since leaving Cleveland. Irving has earned four All-Star nods over that span and is coming off a 20-game run with the Mavericks this past season where he shot a career-best 51.0% from the field. Yet, over that same period, he's appeared in just 22 playoff games—30 fewer than he appeared in as a member of the Cavaliers.

The narrative that Irving can't help propel a team into title contention is false. While he may not be capable of carrying a squad ala James, he can be a prominent piece of the puzzle. Now in Dallas and playing alongside Luka Doncic, Irving has a real opportunity to silence his doubters.

More must-reads: