Iman Shumpert Defends Kyrie Irving's Cavaliers Exit

Shumpert reframes Irving's departure as the purest expression of a Kobe Bryant-style competitor who refused to win on someone else's terms.

Mar. 5, 2026 at 6:50pm

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Former Cavaliers player Iman Shumpert delivered a passionate defense of Kyrie Irving's decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James in 2017. Shumpert argued that Irving, like Kobe Bryant, was driven by a fierce competitive spirit that wouldn't allow him to be a co-star on someone else's team. Shumpert said Irving needed to prove he could be the guy, the one the ball goes to in crunch time, rather than playing second fiddle to James.

Why it matters

Kyrie Irving's exit from the Cavaliers was controversial at the time, with many fans and pundits criticizing him as selfish and disloyal. Shumpert's perspective provides important context, reframing Irving's decision as the actions of a true competitor who wanted to test his limits and see how good he could be as the undisputed leader of a team.

The details

Shumpert explained that Irving, like Kobe Bryant, had a mentality where he needed to know he was the best. Shumpert said Irving would not concede that LeBron James was better than him, and that if given a one-on-one game for his life against James, Irving believed he would win. Shumpert argued that Irving's competitive spirit would not allow him to spend his prime playing second fiddle to James, even on a championship team.

  • Kyrie Irving left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.

The players

Kyrie Irving

A former NBA player who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016 alongside LeBron James.

LeBron James

One of the greatest NBA players of all time, who returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 and led the team to an NBA championship in 2016.

Iman Shumpert

A former NBA player who was a member of the 2016 championship-winning Cleveland Cavaliers team alongside Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.

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What they’re saying

“If you know Kyrie, Kyrie is a a Kobe guy. Like Kyrie wanted to beat Bron. And that's okay.”

— Iman Shumpert, Former Cavaliers Player

“You got your mama crib, right? And they just bring you a new brother. You was the one that get to have the house key and do whatever you want. And now they (tell him) 'Oh, no. You get to drive the car.' We got a new brother now, but he the only one get to drive the car. 'WHAT? What happened? What makes him a better driver than me?'”

— Iman Shumpert, Former Cavaliers Player

“(He) needs to know if (he's) the best. Kai will not concede telling LeBron he's better than him. We might all know it and say, 'Hey man, he's way taller. It's a bad matchup.' You toss Kai that ball and say you got to play one-on-one with LeBron James for your life. And I don't think Kai think he going to lose.”

— Iman Shumpert, Former Cavaliers Player

The takeaway

Shumpert's passionate defense of Kyrie Irving's decision to leave the Cavaliers provides important context, reframing Irving's exit not as an act of disloyalty, but as the actions of a fierce competitor who needed to prove he could be the undisputed leader of a team and reach his full potential, even if it meant leaving LeBron James and the championship-winning Cavaliers.