Stephen A. Smith: Kyrie Irving Believes LeBron Leaked News of Trade Request
By Jason McIntyre
If our Kyrie Irving vs. LeBron James story Sunday night didn’t wet your beak, well, this certainly will: ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith hears that Kyrie Irving believes LeBron leaked the Irving’s trade request. What?
"According to my sources, they believe LeBron James had everything to do with news getting out that Kyrie Irving wants to be traded, because Kyrie Irving and his representation and others met with the Cavaliers a couple weeks ago, and not a word got out until recently. They believe that LeBron James got word of it and was put off by it and leaked it. I’m not going to accuse LeBron of such a thing. I don’t know that to be true at all. But I know that’s what Kyrie Irving believes."
I don’t believe this at all. Stephen A. made one major miscalculation: Irving spent all week out here in LA, playing pick-up ball with Carmelo Anthony and Jimmy Butler. Players talk. Irving and Butler are buddies. My guess would be Irving told those two players and others who were playing pickup with them, and word got out.
Why would LeBron leak word of something that ultimately is going to look terrible for the 2nd best player in NBA history?