Kyrie Irving’s tenure with the Boston Celtics ended under a storm. The veteran ball-handler legacy with the franchise is leaving the summer after verbally committing his future to the team. As such, Irving has faced some tough receptions when returning to the TD Garden in recent years. The most notable being his Game 4 exit while playing for the Brooklyn Nets in 2022.
No, the ball-handling wizard is part of the Dallas Mavericks roster that will face the Celtics in the NBA Finals. During a recent interview, Irving admitted that the situation surrounding his final game for Brooklyn and the altercation with Celtics fans was far from his best moment.
“But I will say 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 s— a little bit — that wasn’t a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete on a high level,” Irving said. “It wasn’t a great reflection on 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 will have a tough job on his hands. He and Luka Doncic are facing one of the best teams in the NBA. Boston prides itself on a stringent defense that can shut down any team in its path. The guard pairing of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White will be a tough matchup for Irving to contend with.
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Andy Tobolowsky drops by to help us breakdown the NBA Finals matchup between the Celtics and the Mavericks
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Nevertheless, Irving appears to have grown and matured since leaving Boston and Brooklyn. He will need to keep his emotions in check if he wants to navigate the upcoming games at the TD Garden because the crowd will be loud and proud as they look to cheer their team to victory.
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