Kyrie for MVP? LeBron says, 'Why not?'
It's hard to omit LeBron James from the annual Most Valuable Player conversation, though James himself believes a teammate should be included in this year's discussion: Kyrie Irving.
"Why not?" said James, according to the Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd. "His ability to lead a team and his ability to score and get guys involved, we’re going to continue to improve as a team, we’re going to be right up there with the league leaders in wins, so why not?
"I think the sky’s the limit for the kid. He’s only (24) years old ... He hasn’t even gotten to his prime yet."
Last January, James talked about how special his teammate was, saying there would "never be a question" that Irving would be MVP as long as he's on the floor and healthy.
Irving is averaging 25 points through the first three games of the season and hitting 46 percent of his shots. He's one of three Cavs starters averaging more than 20 points per game, alongside James and Kevin Love.
"Kyrie, he doesn't have any weaknesses ... he's been great so far," James said Tuesday.
That's similar to what Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said of Irving last month, although Lue included a crucial qualifier.