Chapter 266: Nobody Wants to Play Beside LeBron.
As the days ticked down, the anticipation for the Christmas Day matchup grew among fans.
This year's Christmas game was set to be an all-time classic, drawing more attention than ever before.
The allure lay in its historical context. Back in the Stern era, numerous attempts were made to engineer the "23 vs. 24" matchup, which often fell short. The league had to settle for highlighting it during Christmas games instead.
In those years when LeBron James was still on the Cavaliers, Christmas Day felt like an annual Cavaliers vs. Lakers showdown.
"23 vs. 24" was a cash cow that brought in massive viewership—no shame in that.
Fast forward to this year, the matchup was once again Cavaliers vs. Lakers. However, this time, the iconic "23" and "24" were on the same team, facing off against the league's reigning kingpin, Han Sen.
What made it even more compelling was the setting: Cleveland's home court. LeBron's return to Cleveland was bound to be a spectacle fans wouldn't miss.
But just as the buzz was building, Kyrie Irving's one statement blew up the anticipation for the game into an all-out firestorm.
It all started after Irving's game-winning shot against the Bulls during a post-game interview.
In that interview, Kyrie remarked, "If anyone can bring success to Cleveland, I believe Han Sen is the only one."
Given the context—Irving scoring the game-winner off Han Sen's assist—the comment wasn't inherently controversial.