On the heels of former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin declaring Kyrie Irving's trade request "courageous," Hall of Famer Charles Barkley took his turn Wednesday regarding Irving's situation.
"You want to be on a good team. You want to play with other great players. This notion where you want to be the man, I just think is so stupid," Barkley said during an interview on NBA TV. "If I got a chance to play with another great player, I want to do that. The objective is to win.
"When he was on a bad team and he was the man, I guarantee you that wasn't a lot of fun for him. And now you want to leave the best player in the world. And listen, I hear all of this stuff about how LeBron casts a big shadow. He should cast a big shadow. I'm pretty sure everybody that played with Michael Jordan or Larry Bird or Shaq ... it's a big thing. If you get a chance to play with great players, that's half the battle."
Irving's reported request to be traded sent shock waves around the league a few weeks back, but Cleveland has yet to translate his request into action despite multiple reported offers.
Irving's reported trade destination preferences were San Antonio, New York, Minnesota and Miami -- and all reportedly have made offers.