After helping the Cleveland Cavaliers snap a two-game losing streak, Kyrie Irving squashed recent rumblings about his unhappiness in Ohio.
"There's nothing to really address," Irving said following Monday's win over the Indiana Pacers, in response to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reporting that Irving was unhappy in Cleveland and preferred to play elsewhere.
"Obviously there's going to be some misunderstandings, it's part of being on a team," Irving added after posting 22 points and six assists against the Pacers. "For me, as a maturing young player in this league, I know what we have and the opportunity we have in order to be something special. My communication is open with all of my teammates, just knowing what's going on and how I feel about things."
The drama is nothing new for the Cavs, who despite their on-court success, have dealt with reports of infighting since last season and saw head coach David Blatt fired in January despite their 30-11 record at the time.
In the past, however, much of the criticism and attention revolved around Blatt's authority and star big man Kevin Love's ability to fit in with LeBron James and Co.
"For me, all that other stuff, what everyone is going to say, they're going to pick one player and it's going to change every single week," Irving said. "When they think that we're down and out, they're going to choose one player. For me, it has no effect on my life or what's going on. It's all about winning and winning a championship for Cleveland."
The Cavs entered Monday's contest coming off a heartbreaking loss in Toronto on Friday - when Irving was thoroughly outplayed by All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry and James ripped the team's mental strength - and a James-less loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
With Monday's win, Cleveland moved 2.5 games ahead of the Raptors for top spot in the Eastern Conference.
