Last month, Boston Celtics All Star point guard Kyrie Irving made a call to former teammate LeBron James to issue an apology for the way he acted at times during their run with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Rachel Nichols revealed footage of a conversation she had with Kyrie, in which Irving explains why he felt the need to apologize to LeBron all these years later.
"Apologizing, that was a step for me just to move forward in my life," Irving says.
Irving told reporters in January that he now understands what LeBron was trying to teach him in Cleveland, now that he is seen as the leader of a young Boston Celtics team with title aspirations.
Per ESPN:
"Obviously, this was a big deal for me, because I had to call [LeBron] and tell him I apologized for being that young player that wanted everything at his fingertips, and I wanted everything at my threshold. I wanted to be the guy that led us to a championship. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to be all that, and the responsibility of being the best in the world and leading your team is something that is not meant for many people."
He added: "[LeBron] was one of those guys who came to Cleveland and tried to show us how to win a championship, and it was hard for him, and sometimes getting the most out of the group is not the easiest thing in the world."
The Celtics are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 37-21. Kyrie and co. will take on the first place Bucks in Milwaukee on Thursday night in the first game of TNT's post-All Star break doubleheader.