You remember where you were. June 19, 2016. Oracle Arena is shaking, the air is thick with the kind of tension that makes your stomach do backflips, and the clock is bleeding out. Then, it happens. Kyrie Irving stares down Steph Curry, dances for a second, and rises.
Splash.
That single shot changed everything for the Cleveland Cavs. It didn't just win a game; it killed a 52-year curse that had been hanging over the city like a heavy fog. Honestly, looking back at the Cleveland Cavs Kyrie Irving era now, it feels like a fever dream. It was a six-year rollercoaster that went from the "Post-LeBron" depression to the highest peak any sports fan could imagine, only to end in a messy, "wait, what just happened?" breakup.
The Kid from Duke Who Had to Save a City
When Cleveland drafted Kyrie first overall in 2011, the vibes were... bad. LeBron James was in Miami winning rings, and the Cavs were basically a team of "who’s that?" guys. Kyrie was 19, coming off a toe injury at Duke that limited him to just 11 games. People were skeptical. Could this skinny kid with the handle of a streetballer actually lead a franchise?
He answered that pretty fast. He put up 18.5 points a game, won Rookie of the Year, and started breaking ankles immediately. But the team was still losing. A lot. It’s kinda funny to remember now, but there was a point where people wondered if Kyrie was just a "good stats, bad team" guy. He was flashy, sure. He won the 2013 Three-Point Contest. He was the 2014 All-Star Game MVP. But the Cavs were stuck in the lottery.
Then, the letter dropped. LeBron was coming home.
That Electric, Messy "Big Three" Dynamic
Suddenly, Kyrie went from the solo act to the second lead. It wasn't an easy transition. You've got LeBron James, the greatest player of his generation, and Kevin Love, a double-double machine from Minnesota.
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The 2014-15 season was a massive learning curve. Kyrie had to figure out how to be effective without having the ball in his hands every single second. He still had those "oh my god" moments—like the 57-point explosion against the Spurs in March 2015—but the playoffs were the real test. And they were brutal. Kyrie’s knee basically exploded in Game 1 of the 2015 Finals. Watching him limp off the court in Golden State was heartbreaking. Without him (and Kevin Love), LeBron nearly pulled off a miracle, but they fell short.
The 2015-16 season was the redemption arc. Kyrie missed the first 24 games recovering from that kneecap surgery. When he came back, something was different. He was more surgical. By the time they reached the Finals for the rematch against the 73-9 Warriors, he was ready.
The 2016 Finals: Pure Insanity
People talk about "The Block" by LeBron, and they should. It’s legendary. But Cleveland doesn't win that title without Kyrie Irving. In Game 5, with the Cavs facing elimination, he and LeBron both dropped 41 points. Forty-one! It was the first time teammates ever did that in a Finals game. Kyrie was shooting over people like they weren't even there.
Then came Game 7.
The score was stuck at 89-89 for what felt like an eternity. Neither team could buy a bucket. With 53 seconds left, Kyrie took the ball. He didn't pass. He didn't look for LeBron. He took the most important shot in Cleveland history right in the face of the reigning MVP.
That ball hitting the net is a sound Cavs fans will hear in their sleep forever. He finished that series averaging 27.1 points on 40.5% shooting from deep. He wasn't just a sidekick anymore; he was a cold-blooded assassin.
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Why the Cleveland Cavs Kyrie Irving Trade Still Stings
If you had told a Cavs fan during the championship parade in 2016 that Kyrie would be gone in a year, they would’ve laughed you out of Ohio. But the 2016-17 season was the beginning of the end. Even though Kyrie averaged a career-high 25.2 points that year, the Warriors had added Kevin Durant and become an unstoppable juggernaut. The Cavs lost the 2017 Finals 4-1.
In July 2017, the bombshell dropped. Kyrie wanted out.
The rumors were everywhere. He was tired of being in LeBron’s shadow. He wanted to see what he could do as "the man." He threatened to have knee surgery and sit out the season if he wasn't traded. It was messy. It was confusing.
Cleveland eventually sent him to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the pick that became Collin Sexton. At the time, some people thought Cleveland did okay. In hindsight? It was a disaster. Isaiah’s hip was shot, and the "Big Three" era was officially dead. LeBron left for the Lakers a year later.
The Legacy: What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a narrative that Kyrie and LeBron hated each other. Honestly, it’s more complicated than that. Kyrie has since admitted that he wasn't mature enough at the time to handle the pressure of playing with LeBron. He's called it a "different animal."
Recently, we've seen a lot of mutual respect. In 2024 and 2025, Kyrie has been vocal about how much he learned from "Braun." They’ve repaired the bridge.
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What most people forget about the Cleveland Cavs Kyrie Irving years is just how much he meant to the city's identity. Before he got there, Cleveland was a joke in the NBA. He gave them hope when LeBron left, and he gave them the trophy when LeBron came back. He’s currently 3rd in franchise history for three-pointers made (though Donovan Mitchell just passed him in late 2025), and his #2 jersey will almost certainly hang in the rafters at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse one day.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're still riding for Kyrie or just nostalgic for that 2016 run, there are a few things worth noting about his Cleveland legacy today:
- Memorabilia Value: Game 7 related items, especially anything signed from the 2016 Finals, are at an all-time high. Because of his controversial exits from Boston and Brooklyn, his Cleveland-era gear is actually considered his "purest" period by many collectors.
- Stat Watching: Keep an eye on the Cavs record books. While Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are rewriting the history of Cleveland guards, Kyrie’s efficiency in isolation remains the gold standard.
- The "Uncle Drew" Connection: If you’re looking for a fun rabbit hole, go back and watch the original Pepsi Max "Uncle Drew" spots filmed in Cleveland. They captured a version of Kyrie that was just about the love of the game, before the media drama took over.
The relationship between Cleveland and Kyrie is like that one intense ex you can't quite forget. It ended badly, and there were some loud arguments, but man, when it was good, it was the best thing ever. He’s a Maverick now, and he’s dealt with his fair share of injuries lately, but in the 216, he’ll always be the guy who hit The Shot.
To really appreciate the impact, you have to look at the drought before him. Fifty-two years. Generations of fans lived and died without seeing a parade. Kyrie Irving ended that. Regardless of how he left, that's a debt that can never be fully repaid. He wasn't just a point guard; he was the closer.
What to do next: If you want to dive deeper into the technical side of his game, look up "Kyrie Irving 57 vs Spurs" on YouTube. It’s widely considered one of the greatest regular-season scoring performances in NBA history. Alternatively, if you’re interested in how the team rebuilt after he left, check out the trade timeline that eventually landed the Cavs Donovan Mitchell, which effectively closed the loop on the Kyrie assets.