PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) — LeBron James sat at one end of the court, listening to music. On the other end, about as far away from James as possible, Kyrie Irving leaned back in his seat.
Quite a distance between the Cleveland Cavaliers teammates.
“Means we hate each other,” Irving said Friday after the morning shootaround, hours before tipoff against Denver. He was only joking, of course.
James shot down reports that he and his point guard got into a heated disagreement after the Portland game on Tuesday.
“We have not had a verbal exchange,” said James, whose team has dropped two straight road games. “But I understand that negativity sells. No one wants to hear a good story. Those reports are not true. They’re very false.”
Irving had some fun with their reported rift. He good-naturedly said the dispute with James was actually over which show is better: “Survivor’s Remorse” or “Family Guy.” Irving is a big fan of the animated series.
“He’s going to feel strong about ‘Survivor’s Remorse,’ because it’s his show. I love ‘Family Guy,'” Irving said. “Heated exchange. Words were said. No blows this time.”
Unlike James, Irving has never really been through anything like this, where all eyes are constantly on him.
“We attract a lot of hoopla. Always something to blame,” Irving said. “The only thing that matters is what’s going on within our locker room. That’s the only thing that matters.”
And fine-tuning on his on-court chemistry with James.
“We’re two dynamic players and it’s coming along well, I believe,” James said. “It’s going to continue to get better and better. It’s just four games. It’s our first time playing together. Every game is going to be a learned experience for both of us. It’s not just me and Kyrie. It’s myself and the rest of the guys, and Kyrie and the rest of the guys as well.”
To calm some of the angst over their sluggish start, James posted a message on his Twitter page Thursday: “In the words of the great @AaronRodgers12 ‘RELAX.'”
James said that wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, simply, “how I was feeling at the time.”
“Just a message for everyone to understand how important the process is,” James added. “Everyone wants overnight success. It just doesn’t happen in team sports, when teams first come together.”
Two nights ago, Irving had 34 points in a last-second loss in Utah. He also had no assists, a stat he’s well aware of, too.
“It’s not like I wasn’t passing the ball,” Irving said. “For me, it’s about finding ways to get guys the ball in right spots. I’m going to do anything possible to win a ball game. I have the confidence from my teammates to go do that.”
In training camp, James intimated that if he had to challenge players, he wouldn’t shy away. But he said he hasn’t reached that point yet.
“Too early,” James said. “For our team to be as good as we want to be, we can’t worry about what’s going on on the outside. We have to control our own destiny and play hard and get a win.
“We can’t shortcut the process along the way.”
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