Kyrie Irving appreciated the kind words LeBron James had to say about him leading up to the start of the 2024 NBA Finals.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Irving was asked about his reaction to hearing James talk about how proud he is of his former teammate and how he’s “so f–king mad” they don’t share the court together in the same jersey anymore.

On the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, James told JJ Redick he’s “so proud” to see Irving’s growth, but he’s “so f–king mad at the same time that I’m not his running mate anymore.”

.@KingJames talks about the gifts and growth of his former teammate, Kyrie Irving.

Full episode of Mind the Game with @jj_redick drops tomorrow: https://t.co/PKXXT3EcGJ pic.twitter.com/M3uMFATEXE

— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) June 4, 2024

James didn’t make it a secret that he wanted the Los Angeles Lakers to add Irving prior to the 2023 trade deadline when there were rumblings the team had interest in the eight-time All-Star.

LeBron James on if Kyrie Irving is the type of player that can help the Lakers get to the finish line: pic.twitter.com/EAbcLtcPjB

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 5, 2023

Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers offered the Brooklyn Nets a package that included Russell Westbrook and first-round picks in 2027 and 2029.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported in February 2023 the Nets were asking “way more” from the Lakers than any other team for Irving. He wound up being traded to the Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick and two second-round picks.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne noted in January that Irving “had a strong interest” in reuniting with James after the star point guard made a point of showing up to two Lakers playoff games at Crypto.com Arena last season.

Instead, the Mavericks wound up keeping Irving on a three-year, $120 million contract in free agency. The deal was seen as a significant risk at the time because of a series of controversies, on and off the court, that made his short- and long-term outlook very uncertain.

In Dallas, he’s played a huge role in the franchise making it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010-11.

Irving and James spent three seasons as teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014 to ’17. The partnership ended after the 2016-17 season in part because Irving reportedly took issue with how James received more favorable treatment from the organization.

Even though things didn’t end well in Cleveland, the three-year run together was the best in Cavs history. It culminated with a victory over the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals for the franchise’s first championship. ( Credit by: bleacherreport )