Skip to main content

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving says he hasn't been a leader

Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving said he has not been a leader and is thankful the team is now loaded with veterans.
  • Author:
  • Publish date:

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving said he has not been a leader and is thankful the team is now loaded with veterans.

Along with LeBron James coming back to Cleveland after four seasons in Miami, the team reportedly will trade for All-Star forward Kevin Love and sign veteran Shawn Marion.

“I haven’t been a leader – not at all,” Irving told RealGM.

Irving signed a five-year rookie extension, worth an estimated $90 million this offseason.

More: Last call: Veteran NBA free agents still on the market

“Everybody asks me if this is my year to be a leader … I haven’t been so far though, not at all,” Irving said. “I’ve just been a kid trying to figure it out. There’s no perfect way to be a leader, and coming in as a 19-year-old kid and having everything bearing on your shoulders, there are a lot of ups and downs."

Irving, who was the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year, has been named an All-Star each of the last two seasons and was the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player this year.

He averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds last season.     

- Scooby Axson