Kyrie Irving became the top overall pick in the draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland had one of the worst teams in the League, a year after having the best regular season record. Their dropoff was the result of losing LeBron James to Miami. The Cavs got lucky by winning the lottery which gave them the first and fourth picks in the draft. Irving will be viewed as the team’s next franchise player, resulting in immense pressure. That was the role LeBron James used to have for Cleveland. Thankfully, neither Irving nor Derrick Williams wants to follow his model:
When both players gave their answers, they weren’t taking shots at LeBron. Rather, they were responding to questions from reporters looking to hear their thoughts. Kyrie gave the obvious answer, saying he’s not anything like LeBron as a player. Williams’ reply seemed to revolve around the reputation James has developed. Both are wise to distance themselves from James; not only did he upset the city of Cleveland, but turning the Cavs into one of the best teams in the NBA the way James did is unlikely.
