LeBron: Irving's return to Cleveland will be fine

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Bengaluru, October 17: LeBron James insisted Kyrie Irving will be "fine" when he returns to the Cleveland Cavaliers as a Boston Celtics player.

It will be somewhat of a reunion for Celtics recruit Irving and the Cavaliers in Cleveland during their regular-season NBA opener on Tuesday.

Irving spent six seasons with the Cavs, playing side-by-side with James for the past three, before his shock split with the franchise in the off-season.

"Everybody's good. Everybody's good," James told ESPN in an interview alongside Dwyane Wade on Monday.

"KD [Kevin Durant] last year in Oklahoma City, Paul George going to go back to Indiana, you know, D-Wade's going to go to Chicago, Kyrie's coming back to Cleveland. No [it will not compare]."

Seven years ago, James and Wade came to Quicken Loans Arena after playing 20 games with the Miami Heat. Extra security was arranged to work the game in anticipation of a hostile crowd and the atmosphere was so heated that the Cavs' mascot jokingly wore a bulletproof vest over his costume.

With the return of Irving in Cleveland, James does not expect it to be anything like what he personally experienced.

"They will be fine," James said. "People were throwing batteries at us."

James only had positive things to say about his former Cavs team-mate and the three years that they played together.

"At the end of the day, the kid did what he wanted to do," James said. "That was his destiny. Like I said, you know, the three years that we had together, unbelievable three years, and, you know, I wish we could have continued that, but it didn't work itself out. So, now my energy is to the guys that's in The Land."

James, who has been questionable to play in the Cavs' season opener due to an ankle injury, expressed his excitement for the game through Twitter writing, "Hopefully I can be Ready to get it going tomorrow night. So excited to have one of the greatest guys on and off the court with us."

Source: OPTA