For Steve Nash’s sake, James Posey hopes Kyrie Irving ‘learned some things’ since time with Cavs

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Among the multiple topics Kyrie Irving touched on in the first episode of “The ETCs with Kevin Durant,” was how a narrative from early in a player’s career can stick with them.

“I’ve been in front of the cameras,” Irving said.” “You can watch a lot of the past history of videos whether it be part of the brand partnerships I’ve had or even some of the mistakes I’ve made in my life publicly or the media following every single word or hanging on every single word and it becomes the narrative or picture of me. I never want to go out and fight against a system such as that, that doesn’t serve me internally.”

One of the things those in and around the NBA have criticized Irving for is his time with the Cavaliers, though that subject hadn’t popped up in a while — until James Posey hit on it while evaluating Steve Nash as Brooklyn’s head coach for BasketballNews.com:

Kyrie was still in his early-20s when I coached him in Cleveland, so hopefully he’s matured a bit. I hope he sees the game differently. Back then, he was a young man who didn’t understand the full scope of things. He was more about “me, me, me” than “us, us, us.” For Kyrie, he just needed to mature a bit and understand the bigger picture when it comes to the game of basketball — where it’s all about winning and leading his teammates. Kyrie’s leadership has been questioned, but he has an opportunity to silence those critics by stepping up as a leader in Brooklyn and having a great relationship with Nash.

To me, Kyrie is the most talented point guard in the league. I think he’ll continue to get better when it comes to understanding the position, but talent-wise, I’m taking Kyrie over anyone. I just hope he puts it all together as a leader and teammate too. If he does that, whew!

Posey explained further how important it is for Nash to develop a strong relationship and “that trust factor” with Irving, adding:

Kyrie is a great kid and he’s worked really hard to be seen as a top player and get that respect from other players. Hopefully, he’s learned some things since I coached him and he’s able to get on the same page as Nash playing-wise and communication-wise. It’s pretty common for players to be focused on showcasing their talent and becoming a star early in their career; then, as they get older, their attention shifts to winning championships and being more team-oriented.