Tristan Thompson Thinks Cavaliers Will Retire Kyrie Irving's Number Despite Tough Breakup

With the tumultuous period of time Tristan Thompson has gone through over the past couple of years, can anybody blame him for being emotionally stuck in 2016, the year he won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Before the Nets and Cavaliers tipped off yesterday in a game which the Nets won 108-106 without Kyrie Irving on the floor, Thompson was asked about Kyrie's legacy with the Cavaliers organization.

Apparently, Thompson's pretty high on where Kyrie stands in Cavs' history, as he thinks the franchise will eventually retire Irving's jersey number.

Don't mind the messy way in which Irving left the organization in 2017, essentially forcing his way out of Cleveland up to Boston. It was Irving for a hobbling Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a first-round pick that turned into Collin Sexton.

The main reason Irving left was reported to have been the fact that he wanted to be more of a focal point on an offense that he would presumably lead, while simultaneously stating that he did not want to play alongside LeBron James anymore.

Well, everyone saw how disastrous Irving was with the Celtics, and now that drama has carried over into his stint with the Nets.

But none of that matters to Thompson, and perhaps rightfully so. Irving did contribute a ton to Cleveland's first major championship in over a half-century, and as long as that 2016 NBA championship banner is raised, the retirement of Irving's number will always be strongly considered.