Indeed, Irving was prepared to be asked about his old teammate LeBron James's comments about him on Tuesday
as he is back in the NBA Finals for the first time since their time together in Cleveland.
Irving remarked, "Is that the first question?" while chuckling from the dais on finals media day. My goodness, I adore it. I really enjoy this, dude.
On Tuesday, James, who has spent the last six years with the Los Angeles Lakers, expressed his joy and pride in witnessing Irving's continued improvement while sitting here and watching
While teasing an upcoming episode of their podcast "Mind the Game,"
James expressed his frustration with not being his running buddy anymore to JJ Redick, his podcast co-host.
"It's appreciated," Irving replied. "There's also a great deal of appreciation there."
The 32-year-old Irving last made it this far in the playoffs in 2017–18, when he and James played for the Cavaliers and lost in five games to the Golden State Warriors