Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith recently weighed in on Kyrie Irving’s career trajectory since parting ways with LeBron James, raising the question of whether the star point guard can win without the support of his former teammate.
As highlighted in an infographic shared by Basketball Forever, Irving’s journey after leaving LeBron has been filled with ups and downs. From injuries to early playoff exits, the statistics paint a mixed picture of his post-LeBron success.
Responding to this narrative, Irving took to Twitter, determined to change the perception of his career and prove himself as a champion in his own right. This summer, he made a statement by re-signing with the Mavericks on a lucrative 3-year, $120 million contract.
However, Stephen A. Smith remains unconvinced and argues that for Irving to solidify his status as a true champion, he must demonstrate the ability to lead a team to victory without the influence of James. Speaking on First Take, Smith acknowledged Irving’s remarkable skills, including his exceptional handle and unstoppable offensive prowess. Yet, he emphasized that Irving’s leadership and ability to unite a team, akin to LeBron’s role, remain unproven.
“If he wants to be seen as the champion that he deserves to be seen as, so be it he is a champion, and the reason why I say that and I keep reminding everybody that yes, he didn’t win the title without LeBron, he needed LeBron to do it. LeBron needed him too,” he said. “LeBron was not beating Golden State without Kyrie performing the way that Kyrie performed.”
Smith referenced Irving’s tenure with the Celtics, where the team found success with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on the floor without him. In Brooklyn, despite a formidable roster, Irving’s leadership potential seemed elusive. Even his stint with the Mavericks couldn’t dispel the notion that he is yet to win without LeBron.
While Smith acknowledges that Irving’s injury may have impacted the outcome of certain series, he maintains that the proof of Irving’s individual championship capacity will only materialize once he secures success without LeBron as his teammate.
“But in the end here’s where what he has to recognize – LeBron James the leader plays a pivotal role in the success of LeBron James,” Smith said. “The fact that he plays the game the way that he plays it and he’s willing to take a leadership role and take a majority of the hits and make sure that he has everybody on the same page – that is something that Kyrie Irving has not been able to pull off in the aftermath.
“He didn’t do it in Boston. They had more success with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on the floor without him than they did with him. He goes to Brooklyn – obviously there was a potpourri of things that came into the equation that prevented him from being the leader he is capable of being.
“And in Dallas I don’t fault him at all for what transpired in Dallas. You traded half the team to get him for crying out loud. It was him and Luka [Doncic] and pretty much nothing else. You got a better roster to put on the floor with him.
“But the bottom line is that he hasn’t proven he can win without LeBron even though I think the year he got hurt twisted his ankle against Milwaukee, I think they would have beat Milwaukee if Kyrie hadn’t gotten hurt. But he did and the proof isn’t there that he could win without LeBron and it’s going to stay that way until he wins without LeBron.”
