Kyrie Irving did not depart on good terms from the Boston Celtics. Just a year after making a verbal commitment to stay, he left in a fiery storm of controversy and mayhem — leaving a rather sour taste in the mouths of Celtics fans everywhere.
Still, when Jayson Tatum looks back on those years, and his time with Kyrie, he still sees sit in a positive light. Here’s what he said about it in a recent chat with the media:
“I enjoyed it, my first two years in the league, being on the team with him,” Tatum said, via Steven Kubitza of Fansided. “Obviously, we didn’t achieve the ultimate goal, but there was a lot of learning experiences.”
“Somebody I’m still really close with today. Obviously, a hell of a basketball player, a hell of a person. I mean, I enjoyed it. Obviously, there were ups and downs and things like that. But you know, I feel like that’s with any team you can say that about.”
Kyrie is known for being a pretty controversial figure, and his tenure in Boston was pretty rocky — for more than one reason. So when he recently gave his ex-teammates a hug after their most recent matchup, it took many by surprise.
Clearly, though, there aren’t any feelings of bitterness or resentment between Irving and his former teammates. In fact, the whole experience is what probably helped Tatum become the player he is today.
