LeBron James “f*cking mad” that he doesn’t play with Kyrie Irving anymore

The Boston Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks in Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals (8:30 p.m. ET), in what will be Kyrie Irving’s first appearance in the championship game since 2017.

Ahead of the game, LA Lakers star LeBron James spoke to JJ Redick (his potential new coach?) on his podcast, Mind the Game, in which he admitted that he misses playing alongside the 32-year-old from Melbourne, Australia.

For three seasons James played alongside Irving with the Cleveland Cavaliers: the pair lit up the NBA and made three straight Finals, winning the championship in 2016. “I just remember those times,” James admitted before talking about his feelings regarding the progression Irving has made.

LeBron: Irving ‘the most gifted player the NBA has ever seen’

“I’m so f*cking happy and so proud to watch him continue his growth, I’m so f*cking mad at the same time that I’m not his running mate anymore”, LeBron told JJ Redick.

“That was like, ‘Oh sh*t, Dallas may be able to not only win the Western Conference finals, they might be able to win the whole thing,’” James said. “Because of that [Irving] wild card. ... He’s the most gifted player the NBA has ever seen.”

ESPN reported that last season, the Los Angeles Lakers “were one of several teams to aggressively pursue Irving leading up to the trade deadline”. In the end, the Brooklyn Nets sent the player to Dallas in a package deal that included Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and two second-round picks.

“To have a guy like Kyrie Irving as the ultimate wild card,” James continued, “it’s like having a Draw 4 in your hand every time someone deals you cards in Uno.”

Irving is in fine form for his side, putting up 22.8 points per game this postseason, shooting 48.5% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range. He’s also averaging 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, serving as the Mavericks’ second option behind Luka Doncic.