By Shintaro Kano, KYODO NEWS - Jul 22, 2017 - 21:13 | Sports, All

Kyrie Irving has reportedly asked the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade him, the All-Star guard no longer wanting to settle for being a sidekick to LeBron James.

And Irving hinted at the bombshell to come on Friday in Tokyo, where he expressed a burning desire to be the focal point of a team ahead of the revelation that has rocked the National Basketball Association.

(Nike)

"Since I was a kid, I've always had that attitude that when the game is on the line I want the ball in my hands and I trust myself to make a great play not only for myself but also for my teammates," Irving said, on the first stop of his Asia tour with Nike.

"Having almost the weight of the world on your shoulders for a make-or-break, one shot that can dictate you winning or losing a game, I love those odds, and I love living with them because I am very much prepared. I'm experienced in it."

"It can be scary and some players shy away from it, but those who are great go right to the fray. They're at the front of the line whether fail or success -- I'm living with the responsibility."

ESPN reported the 25-year-old Irving requested a trade last week in a summer that has seen fellow All-Stars such as Chris Paul, Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Gordon Hayward change teams, while the Cavaliers have been largely inactive.

Cleveland decided not to bring back general manager David Griffin, the architect of a team that has reached the NBA Finals three successive years, and has failed to engineer trades for big names like Butler and Carmelo Anthony.

According to ESPN, Irving told James and other teammates of his trade request, with four-time league MVP James being "blindsided and disappointed" by the news, which Irving's agent Jeff Wechsler did not confirm or deny.

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Irving said in Tokyo he has no problem telling it like it is to his teammates, perhaps referring to the conversations he has had with the rest of the Cavaliers about his career decision.

He also said with all the changes around the league this offseason, there was pressure on teams that have been quiet to make moves.

"Being able to utilize my talent not only for myself but for the success of my team, that's where I feel like I stand out," Irving said. "Being able to come up in those big-time moments, that adds something as well."

"But I think that the most important thing is having honesty with my teammates, and they're able to look me in the eye and tell me the truth. I'm able to do the same thing. That's how you build a good chemistry with your teammates."

"I believe in that. I believe in a lot of loyalty, I believe in taking care of those who take care of you."

Irving already seemed to be speaking in past tense about Cleveland, which made him the No. 1 overall pick of the 2011 draft. The Duke University standout has three years left on his contract with the Cavaliers, but can opt out of the final year.

"It was a heck of a journey, we went through a lot of ups and downs as a team, individual challenges that we had to face. There were things that we learned about one another as teammates and when you go through something like that with a group of people, then you're basically almost indebted to them for the rest of your life."

"I sacrificed my time with my family, my time with my daughter, my friends, everything to win a championship and ultimately be the best basketball player I can be."

"And I wouldn't trade it for the world."