I WANNA BE A STAR!
This past summer has witnessed some of the shakiest moments in the world of sports: one of them, Kyrie Irving’s trade to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas. Just a year after winning the Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie put in a trade request, and soon after, left for the Celtics. The reason for the trade: Kyrie’s foul relationship with LeBron James, one of the league’s best players. After 2 remarkable season with the Cavs, where LeBron and Kyrie complemented each other’s play, winning a championship, reaching this year’s final, it is hard to fathom why the superstars parted ways. Kyrie felt shadowed by LeBron’s prowess on the court, downplaying his importance as a point guard for the Cavs. Moreover, Kyrie’s impressive number this season have warranted recognition, but sadly, have been overlooked by most, due to James’ presence. Kyrie, who was a first draft pick in his time grew tired of playing second fiddle to James, with players such as James Harden and Russel Westbrook snatching the spotlight while he went unnoticed. Eventually, the relationship between the two played out to a wobbly ending. Kyrie, too, wanted to be a star!
This scenario can be likened to an unstable social network graph, with LeBron, Kyrie and the Cavs as separate nodes. The Cavs had positive relations with both players, who were treated well. However, the hostile relationship that developed between Kyrie and James led to a sour ending. As in any unstable social network, the negative relationship forced the Cleveland Cavaliers to choose between the two players, and they eventually sided with LeBron, allowing Kyrie to move, turning the edge between the Cavs and Kyrie negative, thus, balancing the network. Let’s wait and see how the season plays out. Will Kyrie get the spotlight he so badly wanted?
Source: https://www.theringer.com/2017/7/22/16078062/why-kyrie-irving-wants-out-of-cleveland-and-away-from-lebron-james-1b80fe2857d9