Kyrie Irving and Richard Jefferson were both traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason. Irving was sent to the Boston Celtics, while Jefferson got moved to the Atlanta Hawks before getting waived and joining the Denver Nuggets. The moves meant that Cleveland was moving on with two of the key members of their 2016 championship squad.
Jefferson’s role on that team was especially unique, as he became an invaluable member of the team’s rotation at the age of 35. While Irving had a defined role as the team’s star point guard, Jefferson managed to carve one out due to his ability to defend the Warriors’ various options on the perimeter.
Still, when the Cavs needed a big shot, they went to Irving. At no point was that more evident than at the end of Game 7, when Irving hit the shot that brought Cleveland a championship and helped Jefferson win the first ring of his career.
Jefferson discussed this on the newest episode of the “Road Trippin'” podcast, which featured Heat forward Justise Winslow. The two were discussing their colleges — Jefferson went to Arizona, while Winslow went to Duke — which led to a conversation about Jefferson’s relationship with another Blue Devil in Irving.
“Kyrie, my guy,” Jefferson said. “I know you guys got a lot of emotions when it comes to Kyrie. Kyrie’s still my guy. Because at the end of the day, you can never erase what you did.
“No matter what, for the rest of my life, I will be indebted to him for that shot that he took,” Jefferson continued.
This is a cool way for Jefferson to show his appreciation for Irving for hitting the shot that won him his only championship. But don’t worry — when Arizona and Duke would come up in the locker room, Jefferson would put his appreciation for Irving aside and bust his chops, because that’s what you do when you are a wildcat and one of your friends is a blue devil.
