Kyrie Irving is not your typical former Boston Celtics player. Boston fans embrace their own. If you’ve played for the Celtics and given your all, Boston fans will love you. That was not the case with Irving.
Irving was a Cleveland Cavaliers superstar who came to Boston via trade in 2017. He was initially embraced by Celtics fans during a season ticket holder event. There, he announced that he planned to re-sign with the team when his contract expired. Two years later, he left and went to the Brooklyn Nets via free agency.
Now with the Dallas Mavericks, Irving faces elimination in the 2024 NBA Finals as the Mavs trail 3-1 in the series and head to Boston for Game 5 on Monday, June 17. Before Game 5, Irving talked about his time with the Celtics. .
Irving admits mistake he made while playing for Boston Celtics
Irving and Celtics fans haven’t been a good mix since the All-Star point guard left Boston after his two seasons. Fair or unfair, Irving took a lot of the blame for not being able to be the veteran leader of a young team led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and take it to the next level.
Since his departure from Boston, fans at TD Garden have harassed Irving when he returns to town. Chants of “Kyrie sucks” fill the Garden, and he gets booed every time he touches the ball. It has clearly affected Irving, who was fined at one point for disturbing fans during a game in Boston.
During a press conference in Boston before Game 5, Irving spoke about his time in Boston and admitted that he could have done much better.
“When I look back, being traded here, this was not one of my options,” Irving told reporters. “He wasn’t number one on my list, so when the trade opportunity approached me, instead of going back and appreciating the history of the Celtics, I just went in with an open mind. It’s kind of like, I’m going to go with the flow on this.
“I think that was the wrong approach, just being young. Now that I’m a little older, looking back, I definitely would have taken the time to meet people within the community and talk to some of the champions that came before me. I actually reach out to them and not the other way around.
“They have championship pedigree here. They have proven it for years. You have to show your respect here, and that’s what I struggled with at first. They expect you to readily embrace Celtics pride, to embrace everything that the Celtics are, and if you don’t, you’ll be ostracized. “I’m one of the people on the sidelines and I’m perfectly fine with that.”
Irving offered advice to potential Celtics free agents and draft picks
Irving played three full seasons with the Nets before he was traded to the Mavericks in February 2023. In his second year with the Mavs, he teamed with star Luka Doncic to lead Dallas to the NBA Finals.
While he’s enjoying success in Dallas, he’s also had to constantly answer questions about his time in Boston during the NBA Finals. Irving has matured since his time with the Celtics. He has admitted to the mistakes he made and also offered some words of wisdom for any potential free agents or draft picks who will play for Boston.
“Just expect to have a magnifying glass on you wherever you go,” Irving said. “I don’t think Boston appreciates being second class to New York in terms of the media capital of the world, but this is also the media capital of the world. There is also a lot of history off the field here.
“The community is integrated into the Celtics team. That’s probably the best way I can put it. Community is what makes the Celtics great here in Boston. Pandemonium, that’s what makes this place so loud and special. They take pride in that.
If any player comes here, gets drafted here, or is thinking about coming here in free agency, just do your homework and make sure you know what you’re getting into. That’s something I can offer.”
