Kyrie Irving looked back on his two playoff series against the Celtics in 2021 and 2022. Irving noted that he didn’t handle himself and it was a poor reflection of who he was and what he stands for and didn’t set a good example for the future generations of the NBA that look up to him.
“Last time in Boston, I don’t think that was the best. Not this regular season, but when we played in the playoffs and everyone saw me flip off the birds and kind of lose my sh*t a little bit, that wasn’t a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete on a high level. Wasn’t a great reflection from my end towards the next generation on what it means to control your emotions in that type of environment no matter what people are yelling at you.”
Irving added that he enjoys the high-pressure stakes that come with playoff basketball. And while he knows he will be given a hostile reception from the Celtics fanbase, he wants to silence the TD Garden, akin to Gladiator, and perhaps even win the respect and admiration of the crowd. Kyrie added that the fans still respect high-level basketball.
“I’m built for these moments, to be able to handle circumstances like that. I’ve been able to grow since then. Of course, it’s going to be a hectic environment [in Boston], but I’m looking forward to it and I see it as a healthy relationship to have with the fans. Almost think about Gladiator, just winning the crowd over. It’s good to hear the TD Garden silent when you playing well. They still respect great basketball regardless of the attention that’s being paid to what it’s going to be like on my end.”
Kyrie concluded by saying that he has grown a lot since his time as a Nets player, and doesn’t want to dedicate any negative energy to the game of basketball, especially now that he is a veteran leader who is surrounded by young players looking to him for leadership.
“I have a group to lead that’s going to be looking to me for a voice of peace, to be able to control what I can control and also help them through it. So, I’ll take the brunt of it, of all the yells and stuff like that and all the remarks.”
“But I’ve been able to grow since then, I just can handle things better. Especially when I want to put a majority of my energy towards playing well, I can’t just be getting into it with fans like that. Even though, it may be fine at times, it’s a waste of energy, it’s a waste of my time, and also a waste of my talent trying to answer questions from the past that people have.”
Mavs guard Kyrie Irving on his time with the Boston Celtics and facing them in the NBA Finals:
"When we played in the playoffs and everyone saw me flip off the birds and kind of lose my sh*t a little bit, that wasn't a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete on a… pic.twitter.com/PqGAcVDrIa
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 3, 2024
Irving famously stomped on the Celtics logo in the 2021 NBA playoff series while playing for the Nets. Eagle-eyed fans recently noticed that the Mavericks logo was right behind Irving while he stomped on the Celtics logo, which was almost like the universe showing us fans what was in store for the former NBA champion.
Can Kyrie Irving Get His Revenge On The Celtics?
Kyrie Irving has seemingly abandoned any animosity towards the Celtics. But let’s not forget that the last time Irving played against the Celtics in the NBA playoffs, he was swept by his former team. And there is no way a competitive athlete like Irving will be willing to let that go any time soon.
Irving has had a great playoff run, averaging 22.8 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds and elevating the rest of the Mavericks. He would like to end this run with his second NBA championship.
Irving has noted on numerous occasions how he is looking forward to playing against the Celtics, echoing similar sentiments as he did at the Mavericks media day. He opened up about the chance to play against the Celtics in the Finals, and what that meant to him.
Irving is sure to get a hostile reception from the Celtics fanbase. Their head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked recently about Irving being a villain for the Celtic fans, to which he said that everyone is a villain in someone’s eyes. While Mazzulla gave a poignant response, his focus will be on neutralizing Irving’s threat. And if that is by stoking the flame of the fans’ vitriol toward Irving, then he will not hesitate to do that.
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