Kyrie Irving is working his way back from knee surgery during the off-season and isn't supposed to be back on the court for some time. But as the Cavaliers star nears his return, he's reportedly schooling LeBron James in 1-on-1 during Cleveland practices.
ESPN.com reported Sunday that Irving played in a set of modified 1-on-1 games during Saturday's shootaround and "destroyed" King James. But—we are talking about going up against LeBron James 1-on-1 here—there's a caveat:
They weren’t true games of 1-on-1 in the sense that only one dribble was allowed per possession, thus rendering James’ significant size advantage moot as he couldn’t simply back Irving down with his dribble and post him up. Games finished with the first player to score three baskets.
A source added that a big reason Irving won a few games was because he got hot from the outside, but was nonetheless impressive.
Irving continues to progress following surgery to repair a fractured left kneecap he suffered during Game 1 of the NBA Finals in June. Cavs coach David Blatt said the point guard is "certainly taking some steps forward" but emphasized that there is no definitive date for Irving's return.
"Again, can I put a number on it in terms of days left until we see him back out there fully? I really can’t," Blatt said. "I’m not trying to keep it from you. I just don’t know."
[h/t Pro Basketball Talk]
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