For three years, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were a dynamic duo for the Cleveland Cavaliers, teaming up to make three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and winning a title together in 2016. Then it all came crashing down when Irving asked out of Cleveland, possibly to get out from under James' shadow -- though if history is any indication, we won't know all the reasons Irving left until years or decades down the line.
The James-Irving breakup is far from the first, and it won't be the last. In fact, messy endings have become something of a staple of the NBA over the years.