The 2024 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics has all sorts of storylines involved, including the return of point guard Kyrie Irving to Boston. Irving played a few seasons with the Celtics after asking to be traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers. His time in Boston is pretty forgettable, but the fan base hasn’t forgotten how he departed. Irving famously told the Celtics fans that he would love to return to the team, only to leave in free agency.
It wasn’t just his words, but rather his actions that have made him an enemy in Boston. While with the Brooklyn Nets, Irving stomped on the Celtics’ mid-court logo, sparking massive anger from the fans. But even now, years removed from the situation, fans still shower him with boos anytime he steps foot in TD Garden.
“I don’t expect to be celebrated by everybody. I’m going to still be aware that a lot of people want to see me fail,” Irving said, per The Athletic. He had just 12 points on 6-for-19 shooting and two assists in Game 1. “But putting into perspective the blowup dolls and remarks that are getting said, that’s basketball.”
His time with the Celtics didn’t last long, but his impact on the team was apparent. Boston All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum seemed to grow up a little under the tutelage of Irving, leading them to be what they are today. A day before Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Irving seemed to reflect on his time with the Celtics, conceding that he wasn’t his best self. He admitted to failing while with the team, something not many ever expected to hear from him.
“I failed miserably, while also not knowing how to compartmentalize or accept the emotions that come with failure,” Irving said. “And also being on the successful side, (I) didn’t know how to handle that either.”
After being in the shadow of four-time MVP forward LeBron James while with the Cavaliers, Irving wanted to be “the man” in Boston. He quickly came to find out that it was harder than it may have seemed. Irving was dealing with some personal issues while with the Celtics but he wasn’t making any excuses for how he acted.
“Thinking about my time in Boston, I could go down a myriad of things that none of you in here know that I was dealing with, and I don’t think a lot of people would care,” Irving said. “I think a few people would care and want to hear about it, and I would leave that space open in the future if you ever want to hear about it.”
Now with his first chance to compete for a title in the NBA Finals since leaving Cleveland, Irving gets his shot against his old team. He would love nothing more than to beat the Celtics, but the motivation from Boston is likely similar. The Celtics could stick it to their old star player who abandoned them, giving NBA fans a juicy final chapter of this NBA season. Boston got the best of Dallas with a blowout 107-89 victory in Game 1, but the Mavericks likely have some fight in them to make this a compelling series.
Uncommon Knowledge
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