The Bulls advanced past the first round, eliminating the Wizards in six gas.
In his duel against John Wall, Kyrie Irving had the upper hand, averaging 26 points and 7 assists on 46.8% shooting for the series—a strong performance that showcased just how much he had improved after spending two and a half seasons alongside Han Sen.
Now, fate had set up a Cavaliers-Bulls showdown in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Their first regular-season matchup after the trade had already been explosive—now, with a playoff series on the line, tensions were sky-high before the first ga had even tipped off.
Before flying to Cleveland, a reporter asked Irving about the difference between playing in Chicago versus Cleveland.
"Chicago is a real big city, always alive, always full of energy—especially at night. When I drive around, I can feel it. This is a true sports city, sothing Cleveland never had."
On the surface, Irving's words weren't outright offensive. Chicago was undeniably a larger, more established sports city than Cleveland. Even after Han Sen delivered a championship, Cleveland was still playing catch-up in terms of market size and reputation.
But the problem wasn't just what Irving said—it was who he was saying it about.
Dissing a team was one thing.
Dissing an entire city?
That was another level of disrespect.
Ho is ho—people can criticize their own city all they want, but they won't tolerate outsiders doing it.
Now, after back-to-back incidents, the perception around the league had shifted. Irving wasn't just bitter about leaving Cleveland—he was outright low IQ about it.
And this wasn't happening in a vacuum—his hostility toward the Cavs' fanbase had been growing for months. Ever since his controversial interaction with Cleveland fans during the regular season, Irving had ntally checked out.
His thinking was simple—if Cavs fans wouldn't appreciate him, then why should he hold back?
Once the dia got hold of his latest comnts, Cleveland fans erupted.
Then, as if on cue, Cavs head coach Michael Malone took a direct shot at Irving during a press conference.
"Oh, he was talking about Cleveland? That's great. I'm happy to be in Cleveland."
"He can do whatever he wants. But we all know Cleveland is a great sports town. A great city with fans who give everything to their teams. I love being here."
Malone wasn't alone.
Dwyane Wade—one of the key pieces in the trade that sent Kyrie to Chicago—also weighed in.
"You never know where your career will take you. You never know what's going to happen, what team you'll end up on, or who your teammates will be."
"Even when I left Miami, I had that in mind."
"That's why I've never wanted to leave a place and imdiately start talking bad about it. How could sowhere be 'amazing' while you're there, but then suddenly be 'terrible' the mont you leave?"
And just as the controversy around Irving began to peak, another storm hit.
As the Bulls arrived in Cleveland for an open practice, reporters caught up with Chicago head coach Fred Hoiberg—who unexpectedly brought up Wade.
"I'm happy for DW and what he's doing right now. I knew he could do it. When he was here in Chicago, we had a few discussions about bringing him off the bench, but unfortunately, it never worked out. I feel like we could've had more success if it did."
At first glance, it sounded like a complint.
But read between the lines?
It was an outright shot at Wade.
Hoiberg was essentially saying—if Wade had been willing to co off the bench in Chicago, the Bulls wouldn't have needed to rebuild.
That quote made its way to Wade, and by the ti he addressed the dia before Ga 1, he was ready.
"It's simple. I wasn't going to co off the bench for a rebuilding team."
"If I wasn't happy with my role from a basketball standpoint, nothing else would've gone right. And I didn't want my family to go through that."
Wade's ssage was clear—he would sacrifice for a championship, not for a team going nowhere.
It was never about selfishness.
When he signed with Chicago, he wasn't chasing rings—he just wanted to play for his hotown team.
But when the Bulls' direction changed? He did too.
And just when things couldn't get any ssier, Hoiberg fired back one more ti.
"If a team with DW, Pau Gasol, and Jimmy Butler was considered a 'bad team,' then I guess there aren't many good teams in this league."
Now, the controversy had fully shifted from Irving to Wade.
By tip-off, the tension was at an all-ti high.
Cavs fans ca prepared.
Signs in the crowd took direct aim at the Bulls:
- "We don't need Kyrie. We have DW."
- "Chicago is never coming back."
- "Kyrie
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