Does Kyrie Irving deserve to have his jersey retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers? One of his former teammates thinks so.
Tristan Thompson spoke on Monday ahead of the team’s home game against the Brooklyn Nets’. Irving signed with Brooklyn this summer after previously forcing a trade from Cleveland to Boston, which led to a question about Irving’s legacy with the Cavs.
Thompson praised his former teammate.
“His jersey will be retired here,” Thompson said of Irving, via 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. “You see that banner right there? That’s what he means to the franchise. He came in with a lot of expectations and he surpassed them all.”
Irving, 27, was drafted by the Cavs No. 1 overall in 2011 and played his first six seasons with the team. He made four All-Star teams while a member of the Cavs and reached three straight NBA Finals, winning the 2015-2016 NBA championship.
Will that be enough to get his jersey retired? Some with the franchise may hold it against him that he forced a trade away from the team. We know the guy in charge holds a grudge so he might not be eager to honor Irving in that manner, at least not any time soon.
