Report: Cavs to thank Irving with video tribute during season opener
It seems an acrimonious split won't stop the Cleveland Cavaliers from showing love to Kyrie Irving.
The team will honor Irving with a video tribute Tuesday when it hosts the Boston Celtics, a source told Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon.
The All-Star point guard was dealt to Beantown this offseason after he requested a trade, with Cleveland fetching Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and two draft picks in return.
The season opener between the Cavs and Celtics marks a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals, as well as Irving's first regular-season game with his new team. It was already expected to be an emotional affair, and the montage could illicit mixed reviews from the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena.
Irving blossomed into a star with the Cavaliers, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals over six campaigns in The Land. His legacy as a Cav was highlighted by the game-winning 3-pointer he hit to seal the team's historic NBA Finals comeback to capture its first championship in 2016.
More recently, though, Irving turned down a probable fourth straight Finals trip in favor of joining a team he could call his own. He left LeBron James' shadow and found a "real, live sports city."
When the film rolls Tuesday night, which Irving will fans at The Q remember?