INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Each time Kyrie Irving’s team is scheduled to play in Cleveland, it sparks memories -- good and bad -- of what used to be.

Irving, the franchise’s No. 1 pick in 2011, spent six years with the Cavaliers before demanding a trade in the summer of 2017. LeBron James called that blockbuster swap between the Cavs and Celtics the “beginning of the end.” But after two polarizing years with the Celtics, Irving bolted in free agency, joining forces with injured star Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.

Because of how his time in both Cleveland and Boston ended, defining Irving’s legacy has become more complicated.

Not according to Tristan Thompson, who was taken a few picks after Irving in the 2011 draft, pairing up with him to steer the Cavs through the initial post-James era.

“See that banner right there? That’s what he means to the franchise," Thompson said of Irving’s time with the Cavs. “Being No. 1 pick, came in with a lot of expectations and he surpassed them all. Being an All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, World Championship gold medalist, Olympic gold medalist, made a crucial step-back from the right wing in Game 7, Rookie of the Year, it’s a lot.”

On the court isn’t where the questions come. Irving has become one of the league’s premier point guards. In 11 games with the Nets, Irving is averaging 28.5 points, 7.2 assists and 5.4 rebounds. He’s a six-time NBA All-Star.

The questions come off the floor. Last season, one of his Celtics teammates said Irving was “hard to play with." He’s been called moody, tough to coach and immature. He was said to have taken the air out of the Boston locker room.

“Everyone respects his talent, but it’s all about him,” the player said, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

The conversation about Irving as a teammate has only picked up since. Earlier this month, it was revealed that some within the Nets organization were puzzled by Irving’s mood swings during a preseason trip to China. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith followed up on that story, saying he was “not hearing good things” about Irving in Brooklyn.

After Irving left Boston in free agency this summer, the Celtics replaced him with Kemba Walker. Through 15 games, Boston is 11-4, holding the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn is 8-8, and has won four of the five games Irving has missed with a shoulder issue.

“My brother. Great teammate,” Thompson said. "At the end of the day, if I’m going to go to war, need a dog, an MF that can go and hoop I’m definitely going to put him on my team. I mean, the chatter is for you guys to talk about. Teams lose a couple of games and they say the same things about us -- what’s going on and blah blah blah. It’s just chatter. At the end of the day, when that untucked Kyrie jersey is out everyone is scared.”

Kevin Love, the third member of Cleveland’s formidable trio during the title era, echoed Thompson’s sentiments recently.

“I’ve only had good experience with Kyrie,” Love said following shootaround in Dallas on Friday. "Obviously, it’s easy to say because we had so many teams that went to the Finals and played at such a high level. You know, it’s tough, I think so much of the time these days that the commentary is so much the content, so I think people take some stories and run with them.

“For me, I think Kyrie, when he loses he’s super upset, sure, but he’s a talented player who is going to bring it every night, and everybody wants the storyline to be, ‘Hey, look at how great Boston is doing.’ Boston has a hell of a team, they’ve had a hell of a team. Brad (Stevens) is a great coach, so they had a lot of returning guys that stepped up. Jaylen Brown got paid, so he’s going out there and playing extremely well. So I think it’s just adjusting to a new city, new team, new organization in Brooklyn, and them adjusting to how Kyrie plays. So, I don’t really believe the narrative that he’s a bad teammate, because I never experienced that.”

Irving will not be in Cleveland Monday night. He’s set to miss his sixth consecutive game because of a right shoulder impingement. Irving won’t travel for his much-anticipated Boston return Wednesday night either.

Since leaving Cleveland, Irving has only made one appearance in his first NBA home -- the opener with the Celtics in 2017.

Even though he will miss another game in Cleveland, which isn’t a surprise to those within the Cavaliers organization, the memories remain.

“His jersey will be retired here,” Thompson said. "Part of history. He will always have a place in this Cavaliers franchise.”

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