How Kyrie Irving’s Asia Trip Fits Right in With His Self-Centered Summer

Let me preface this by saying the purpose of this article is not to bash Kyrie Irving’s character. When dealing with him in media sessions over the past three seasons, I haven’t experienced anything out of the ordinary and he’s been easier to interact with from a media standpoint than some players.

He’s a respectful guy on and off the court and although the news of his decision to request a trade has caused many in Cleveland’s fan base to criticize and question his character, some fans always take things too far. That’s why the word fan is short for fanatic.

At this point, I wouldn’t use a basketball decision to define someone’s character – which was a reaction that many (myself at age 18 included) had when LeBron James announced his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami.

Years went by and there was forgiveness on both sides of the LeBron equation and who knows how long it will be, but I suspect down the road, Cavs fans who are currently upset with Irving will still be grateful for his key contributions in helping Cleveland win its first championship in 52 years.

It may take longer for some fans than others and there are some fans who are still appreciative of all Irving has done for the team and the city in his Cavaliers career (which is not over yet).

Right now, Irving is in the Far East. Some might say he went to the other side of the Earth (which is in fact round).

The timing of the trip is more than convenient. It seems like Irving had this plan mapped out for a while. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but the fact Irving is essentially going on a self-promotion tour right after he shook the NBA landscape to its core is all too fitting.

Here are a couple notes I find interesting about how this is all going down.

1. Irving left for Asia Friday. The same day the news of his trade request broke. What better way to get away from American media and critics than taking an 11-hour flight to a different continent?

Not to mention, if any of his Cavaliers teammates are upset with him, it’s not as easy to just head out to Asia on a whim and have a conversation. Did Irving plan to leave the day the story came out? It’s unclear. Some suspect LeBron James’ camp leaked the news. Either way, guys like Adrian Wojnarowski, Chris Haynes, etc. probably aren’t about to hunt him down in Asia to get a quote.

2. The entire tour is promoting his brand.

While he’s in Asia, Irving will take part in some community outreach events and teach the game of basketball to a younger generation in a foreign land.

But make no mistake, this tour is a business trip. Asia (China in particular) is a huge market for the NBA and everything that comes along with it. Irving’s biggest gain from this tour will be how many people line up to get the new Kyrie 3’s and purchase merchandise from his clothing brand.

His desire to get out of LeBron’s shadow is related to growing his brand, along with getting more of the credit on the court and putting up more impressive individual numbers.

He already has one of the best-selling shoes in the league, but having his own team where he’s the face of the franchise could end up helping his sales. Perhaps there will be a backlash of sorts, but NBA fans don’t all share the same sentiments as most people in Cleveland – and he’s sure to go on to have a great career wherever he winds up. He’s still only 25.

Again, this connection between promoting the brand and the desire to get his own spotlight leaves me to wonder whether or not this entire thing was planned out farther in advance than ESPN’s reports have indicated.

Is it possible Irving planned his summer with a vision of making the life-altering decision, getting out of dodge the same day, staying away from U.S. media hoards in Asia until the news cools down a little bit and starting the new chapter of his life with the #KyrieWorldTour (self-promoting tour) in Asia?

Irving has been posting more than usual, sharing updates of his trip on Instagram with no reference to the biggest NBA news of the summer.

“I’m super excited for the opportunity to represent the brand,” Irving said in a video he posted on Instagram Friday.

View this post on Instagram

@nikebasketball #KyrieWorldTour

A post shared by Kyrie Irving (@kyrieirving) on Jul 19, 2017 at 11:44pm PDT

Since then, he’s been taking his brand from city to city and will go from country to country – all the while, getting some new fans (customers).

View this post on Instagram

Power to the Creator. #NIKEid @nikebasketball

A post shared by Kyrie Irving (@kyrieirving) on Jul 23, 2017 at 8:10am PDT

Who is anyone to tell a guy not to go out and promote their business? The stuff he’s doing to promote the game in Asia is actually really cool and good for the future of the sport. However, I think it’s worth noting that while Irving is out and about on the self-promotional tour, LeBron James is doing everything he can to stay focused on winning a championship and bounce back from a devastating NBA Finals loss.

Don’t get me wrong. Irving is still working hard, perfecting his craft and trying to become the best player he can be – but obviously their priorities right now are in completely different places.

LeBron has made his fair share of global trips to promote his brand and it’d be hypocritical for anyone to criticize Irving for it, but then defend LeBron, who does the same thing.

But at this point, the convenient timing of Irving’s trip, along with LeBron keeping a relatively low-profile and keeping his nose to the grindstone this summer in preparation to try to win a fourth title seem to show what separates guys like Kyrie (who don’t value winning above all else) from guys like LeBron (who will always make the best basketball-related decisions and do whatever it takes to win).