Irving not behind Brown firing

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Mike Brown's relationship with All-Star pointguard Kyrie Irving didn't grow. They got along, but had their issues.

However, any differences Brown had with his best player didn't get him fired for a second time by the Cavaliers.

That's the point made by general manager David Griffin on Tuesday, strongly denying that Irving had any direct involvement in the decision to replace Brown. The coach was dismissed on Monday — nearly a month after the Cavs finished a disappointing 3349 season.

"Any, any insinuation that Kyrie had anything to do with this decision is patently false," Griffin said, his voice rising. "It's unfair. He was not counseled on this decision, nor was he counseled on the previous coaching decision. It's a completely unfair assertion and one that I want everyone to understand very clearly."

Griffin then pounded his hand on the table for effect.

" That is not a narrative that we are going to go with," he said.

Irving, who will be playing for his third coach in four NBA seasons, and Brown rarely seemed on the same page in their year together. While Irving's defense improved, there were too many times when he was a liability. Also, Irving and guard Dion Waiters struggled during their time on the court and the pair had some off-court issues under Brown's watch.