Kyrie Irving Praises LeBron James as Leader After Finals Loss

The Cleveland Cavaliers may have lost the 2017 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, but that didn't stop Kyrie Irving from speaking eloquently about the impact LeBron James has had on the team.

Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver shared comments by Irving in which he commended James for setting an example for his teammates and motivating them to continue improving:

In the tunnel after the game, James appeared to tell Irving the Cavaliers will be back:

When James returned to Cleveland in 2014, he had to help Irving break the bad habits Irving had developed through his first three years in the NBA, which led to some frank conversations between the two.

Irving told ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin on June 1 that he had spoken to Kobe Bryant about how he handled playing with Shaquille O'Neal on the Los Angeles Lakers, comparing his relationship with LeBron to that of Shaq and Kobe's.

There's no question James has had a demonstrable impact on Irving's career.

Before James arrived, Irving was a dynamic scorer but had yet to prove himself on the biggest stage. Two years after LeBron re-signed with Cleveland, Irving hit a decisive three-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

There's arguably no Cavaliers player who has benefited more from LeBron's return than Irving.