Los Angeles Lakers v Brooklyn Nets - Source: Getty

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving may have won a championship together when they played together for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that relationship took a backseat when they played for different teams. In a 2021 skirmish between James’ LA Lakers and Irving, who plied his trade for the Brooklyn Nets, the mercurial point guard didn’t hold back when he trash-talked James when they faced off against each other.
In a throwback clip that resurfaced on X (formerly Twitter). Irving was seen taking digs at James for missing free throws, and the 4x NBA champion dishing it back to the then-Nets superstar. Irving could be heard sardonically telling James that he didn’t necessarily consider him LA’s best free throws shooter, to which James responded:
“Shut your lil a** up”

Despite the incident, the two have left their competitive streak on the floor and remained cordial. After the season, things have also changed for both players as their careers have taken different directions.

While LeBron James remains with LA, Irving moved to the Dallas Mavericks and made the NBA Finals this past season. He was also linked as an offseason target for the Lakers leading up to his Mavs move, but a reunion with James remains elusive.
Kyrie Irving considered reuniting with LeBron James before the Mavericks’ trade
The LA Lakers were considered one of the best landing spots for Kyrie Irving before he sprung a surprise and inked a deal with Dallas instead. Soon after, in an interview that saw him explain his move, the 8x NBA All-Star said he did consider signing with the Purple and Gold.
“Everything was considered. He’s a great friend of mine, a great brother of mine. We obviously played together [in Cleveland]. Everybody knows our history. But there were so many different factors in between. When it comes to business decisions, you have to ask the GMs, the presidents why certain things didn’t work out.”

James was obviously in favor of working with Irving once more after their Cavaliers days, but contract talks didn’t progress as planned between LA’s front office and Irving didn’t come to a mutual agreement.
The guard also added that he had Dallas as top priority on his list and that worked for him as he linked up with Luka Doncic. The upcoming season will see him play alongside longtime rival Klay Thompson who was traded to the Mavs, while LeBron James will hope to lead the Lakers to another championship.