It’s been quite a journey for Kyrie Irving, but he’s finally back in the NBA Finals as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
What started as a desire to break free from LeBron James’ shadow in Cleveland has turned into a journey with plenty of twists and turns. He had to endure ridicule because of the way he carried himself as a leader and other off-court antics that took away from his on-court brilliance.
While some have since rescinded their claims after seeing Kai thrive in Dallas, it doesn’t remove the scars left by his tumultuous stint in Boston green.
As his Mavericks prepare to face his former team in the Finals, Uncle Drew shares his honest thoughts on how his time with the Celtics panned out.
Kyrie Irving admits that he struggled during his Boston Celtics stint
Kyrie was open when he talked about his time with the Celtics, which spanned from 2017 until 2019. He told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt that he had difficulty establishing himself as a key figure in the team due to various circumstances.
Per Sports Illustrated’s Ben Stinar:
“I had a rough time there when I was in Boston. Again, just dealing with death in my family and dealing with a lot of off-court stuff that I wasn’t ready to handle. Now that I’m in a great place to be able to vocalize how I’m feeling, I’m ready to go back into Boston and have fun with my teammates. I know we’re gonna be locked in. We’re going against a great Boston team that has earned their way to the NBA Finals.”
Irving was a solid player during his short stint with the C’s. During his time there, he averaged 24.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 steals on 48.9/40.4/88.1% shooting splits.
However, everyone knows that his time in Boston was heavily marred by controversy on and off the court. It didn’t take long for him to move elsewhere because he wasn’t in line with the Celtics’ long-term plans.
Will Kyrie Irving lead the Dallas Mavericks to beat his former team?
Kai has been playing great basketball with the Mavericks. He’s averaging 22.8 points, 3.9 boards, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals a game through 17 postseason games. More importantly, he’s meshing well with Luka Doncic as one-half of the dynamic duo carrying the Mavs through multiple strong squads.
Irving understands how great the Celtics are right now. However, he can be confident that the quality of play he’s displayed with the Mavericks this season will help them overcome the odds and win the franchise’s second championship banner.
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