In a chat with the media before Game 2 of the Finals, Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving took a minute to reflect on all the negativity being directed at him from the other side. While Irving admitted that he cannot please everybody, he also explained that it’s not all hate from the city and the Celtics fan base.
“I don’t expect to be celebrated by everybody,” Irving said via Justin Turpin. “I’m still aware that a lot of people want to see me fail but again I think I’ll pay attention more to the way that I’m celebrated by the people who love me unconditionally. Thinking about my time in Boston I can sit here and list myriads of things that none of you in here know that I was dealing with. The blow-up dolls, all the remarks that are getting said, that’s basketball. When I leave out of here and I walk around Boston I don’t hear a lot of the things I hear when I’m playing on the court. There are a lot of Celtics fans that still love me too, surprising to everybody.”
This answer from Kyrie is worth a listen:
“But putting into perspective the blowup dolls and remarks that are getting said, that's basketball. When I leave out of here and I walk around Boston, I don't hear a lot of the things that I hear when I'm playing on the court. There's a… pic.twitter.com/vzd3rZcq7R
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) June 8, 2024
Irving, an 8x NBA All-Star, played for the Celtics from 2017-2019 and averaged 24.1 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game on 48.9% shooting. Besides underachieving in the playoffs, Irving’s standing with the Celtics turned sour when he went back on his word to re-sign in order to join Kevin Durant on the Brooklyn Nets. Now, he’s playing against them in the Finals as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
Despite his history there, it’s been years since Kyrie left the franchise and it’s probably time for the fans to move on by now with 26-year-old Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way. Still, many folks in the city hold a grudge against Irving and they made it known after Game 1 with chants of f**k Kyrie as they marched with a blow-up doll plastered with his face.
Kyrie Irving Sends A Message To Mavericks Fans
The scope of Irving’s conversations on Saturday was not limited to his former team. Even as that major storyline unfolds, Irving is focused on the series at hand and he’s aware of the pressure involved. So far, things are not going the Mavericks’ way but Kyrie urged Mavs nation not to panic after witnessing the Game 1 onslaught earlier this week.
“It’s not the first time we’ve heard Mavericks fans are panicking,” Irving joked. “Shoutout to the fans, appreciate your support all year. Stay poised, stay focused on the goal, this mission is bigger than us.”
Kyrie Irving was asked his message to Mavericks fans panicking after GM 1 loss to Celtics says it isn't the 1st time he's heard that but he thanked them for the support saying: "Stay poised, stay focused on the goal, this mission is bigger than us." #OneForDallas
(📽️: @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/ZLZ9KL2L9c
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) June 8, 2024
Irving was saying similar things about the Nets and the Celtics earlier in his career and we all saw how that turned out. In the case of the Mavericks, it’s still too early to panic but some increased urgency is a good idea heading into Game 2 against a hostile crowd.
After scoring just 12 points in the opening game on Thursday, Kyrie will have to be better to get a win against his former team and steal home-court advantage heading into Dallas. No doubt, the rowdy Celtics fans will be in his ear the entire time but it’s nothing that Irving isn’t used to already as a 12-year NBA veteran.
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