Over the years, Kyrie Irving has developed a reputation as a legitimate NBA star who has a polarizing reputation off the court.
He has gotten himself involved in some notable incidents, and he spent two seasons with the Boston Celtics that he would perhaps rather forget.
During that time, it seemed the Celtics played better when he was out with an injury, and he turned their fans against him when he left as a free agent in 2019.
He returned to Boston in the first round of the 2021 and 2022 playoffs, and in one game during that 2022 matchup, he gave Celtics fans an obscene gesture.
Irving said that he’s grown ever since and that the incident “wasn’t a great reflection” of who he is, per SportsCenter.
Kyrie reflected on his past with Boston ahead of playing the Celtics in the Finals.
More: https://t.co/8KiceMnmZB pic.twitter.com/kXoaIyWYVT
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 3, 2024
Irving played with the Brooklyn Nets for three seasons and change after leaving Boston, and he was joined there by Kevin Durant and later James Harden, leading many to think the Nets had just assembled basketball’s newest superteam.
However, the Nets never even made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, and Irving was ultimately traded to the Dallas Mavericks midway through last season.
Now, he is about to face the Celtics in the NBA Finals, and the fans in Beantown are likely going to show him lots of hostility.
To Irving’s credit, he has been on his best behavior since coming to Dallas, and he has formed a tremendous duo with Luka Doncic despite the fact that both are ball-dominant guards.
Boston is strongly favored, but don’t let that fool you — Dallas has a real chance of becoming world champions because of the clutch heroics of both Irving and Doncic.
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Analyst Reveals How Luka Doncic Can Become The Best Player In The NBA
