Kyrie Irving Responds to Tweet on Career Without LeBron James: 'See What Happens'

Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving responded to a tweet on Tuesday that claimed he hasn't had much success since leaving LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017:

James and Irving were ultimately paired together for four years, winning the Eastern Conference title each time. They also gave Cleveland its first professional championship in 52 years when they took down the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

However, that team broke up after Irving requested a trade following the 2016-17 season, and he ended up on the Boston Celtics. Irving stayed there for two years before suiting up for the Brooklyn Nets. He's now with the Dallas Mavericks after they traded for him midseason and re-signed him to a long-term deal this summer.

Irving has fared well on the court since parting ways with the Cavs in 2017, averaging 25.8 points on 49.0 percent shooting, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. He's also made four All-Star teams along the way.

On the flip side, Irving has not made it back to the NBA Finals. His lone team to make it to the conference finals was the 2017-18 Celtics, but Irving was not part of the playoff run after he was forced to undergo left knee surgery.

As Irving noted, we can revisit the tweet in a few years and see if things change regarding Irving's post-James chapter.

He and the Mavs have a lot of work to do after missing the playoffs—and play-in tournament—last year, but Dallas has undergone an offseason facelift to shore up the defensive and rebounding deficiencies that plagued the squad last year.

If Irving and Luka Dončić can stay healthy and lead the offense to its full potential, then the Mavs could make some noise in the playoffs despite traversing a tough Western Conference. Whether they'll be good enough for a title in this era remains to be seen.