LeBron: Kyrie 'a real man' for reaching out to make amends

Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving called LeBron James last month to apologize for not properly understanding James' role as a leader during their time together with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James hasn't said much about their conversation since then but opened up more about their chat Saturday at the NBA's All-Star Media Day, showing some love to his former running mate.

"I think I've always loved Kyrie, from before I met him, until when I became his teammate, to even now," James told reporters, including to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "So the phone call, more than for me, I think just to see his growth ... It takes a real man and a real person - and a real person to understand who they are - to be able to call, or to do anything and be able to see their wrongdoings or believe they have some wrongdoings and then be able to come to grips with that and then be able to either apologize or say that, 'At that point and time, I thought I was ready for something, but I really wasn't.'

"... I really don't want to talk about it too much, because it's not for everybody. ... I love Kyrie. I love everything about Kyrie."

The pair made three NBA Finals in as many seasons, which included a championship title in 2016. Just a year later, Irving was shipped to the Celtics after requesting a trade from the club.