Kyrie Irving was a guest on Kai Cenat's ongoing 'Mafiathon' streaming event. Irving spent a lot of time with the young streamer, and they got up to a lot of shenanigans. One particular clip saw Irving enact how he would react if the Lakers called him seeking a trade in the future, with Irving seemingly shutting down the idea.
"Ahh. So what's the next move? I'm leaving? What time? They said what? It's going to be Los Angeles. I understand. I'mma stay prepared. That number is not right. It's LA, what are you talking about? Come on, man, you gotta do better than this."
"So you're telling me sh*t is not guaranteed? But you know my body, though, you know my resume, what the f**k I've done in this league. You can't be disrespectful now, man."
"So you want me to show up tomorrow, and you treat me like this. You know what, I'm going to make you respect me. I'll come in there and outwork everybody. And this time, no f**king regrets. I'll see y'all tomorrow."
This interaction seemed incredibly real, and Irving was very convincing in his performance and delivery. One has to wonder whether there is some truth to what Irving was saying, or whether he was drawing from some real experiences that he had with the Lakers.
The Lakers were rumored to be one of the teams interested in Irving in 2023 when he demanded a trade from the Nets. However, the Lakers' unwillingness to give the Nets Austin Reaves cost them, as the Mavericks were able to swoop in and land Irving in a major deal.
The Mavericks definitely got the better end of the deal, as Irving was a key factor in their 2024 NBA Finals run. But this video would suggest that the door is not completely closed for Irving to reunite with LeBron James on the Lakers.
In the same stream, Irving also gave some words of motivation and advice to Cenat's audience. This is a tradition on Cenat's streams whenever a guest makes an appearance. And Irving had some brilliant advice for all the young fans who were tuned into Cenat's stream.
"Wherever you are in the world, whatever you're going through, I just want to let you know; I see you, I feel you, and I understand that life sometimes can get a little chaotic. Y'all got a lot of questions about what's going on around you."
"That's when you have to really root yourself in who God is and get in the know of the true nature of who you are, that you are able to do all things, it's in you. Don't let anybody tell you that the greatness of god, the greatness of who you want to become isn't in you already."
"You just gotta awaken that beast, you gotta awaken that person inside you. You gotta love yourself. The world out here can be cruel. Don't let these f**king haters and doubters get in the way of you achieving what you really want to achieve."
"So I thank you guys for giving me the motivation and inspiration but it starts in here. So, to all the kids out there, I salute you, listen to your parents as much as you can. Go way beyond their dreams, and accomplish your own. You never know where you will end up."
It was wholesome to see Irving share such kind words with young people all over the world. But it didn't end there. Irving also shared stories of Kobe Bryant and how the late legend inspired him and pushed him to be better.
"In 2016, he [Kobe] told me to really start isolating myself a little bit more to get a greater sense of who I am, and how you have to approach every day. That's the best Kobe story I can give."
"His approach to basketball and life was transformative, and it gave us a hero to look up to... He wanted to always let you know, 'You're going to be better than me. Don't try to strive to be where I'm at, strive to go past. And if you can't go past, keep striving for your own goals'."
Irving really delivered a lot of positive messages to Kai Cenat's young audience, and it was truly wholesome to see just how mature and introspective Irving has become as he's grown older. At one point in his NBA career, Irving was one of the most polarizing and controversial figures in the league.
But he has found a lot of maturity and improved his mentality as he has gone from being a young sensation to a veteran star in the league.
And we hope to see that continue, as Irving has been an inspiration for so many players in the NBA with his unique style of play mesmerizing young players and setting the blueprint for success for some undersized players in the league.
