"I failed miserably" - Kyrie Irving gets real on his 2-year stint with the Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving opened up about his two-year stint with the Boston Celtics and how he failed to take accountability for his failures at the time. The Celtics made the postseason twice during Irving's time there, but he only played in the 2019 postseason due to an injury the year before.
In an interview with The Athletic, Irving discussed his tenure with the Celtics which was full of ups and downs. They were one win away from the NBA Finals in 2018 despite the one-time champ sidelined with a knee injury. They only made the Eastern Conference semifinals the next year when he was healthy.
"I failed miserably, while also not knowing how to compartmentalize or accept the emotions that come with failure. And also being on the successful side, (I) didn’t know how to handle that either," Irving said.
Kyrie Irving also made a promise to stay with the Boston Celtics, only for him to leave in free agency and join the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Durant. The decision certainly tarnished his relationship with the franchise, his former teammates and its loyal fanbase.
One of the things that made it hard for Irving to connect with the team was the unfortunate death of his grandfather in 2018. It also didn't help that he publicly called out his teammates back then although his relationship with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford have improved.
Tatum and Irving were close due to both being from Duke, and maintained a relationship after the latter's departure. Brown has publicly called out Irving at times but supported him when the league suspended his former teammate due to promoting an anti-Semitic film.
They even worked together for the NBPA, while Horford has called his relationship with Irving built with mutual respect. The only thing that needs some work is the 32-year-old star's relationship with Celtics fans.
Kyrie Irving admits to not being his 'best self' in his interactions with Celtics fans
Kyrie Irving has had some interesting interactions with Boston Celtics fans at the TD Garden. From stomping on Larry the Leprechaun to a fan throwing a water bottle at him and even him flipping the bird toward the crowd, it has been a roller coaster ride for Irving in Boston.
However, Irving recently admitted to The Athletic before Game 1 of the NBA Finals earlier this week that he was not his "best self" when he did all those things. He doesn't mind getting booed at the TD Garden because he's at a great place mentally with the Dallas Mavericks.
"I know sometimes in sports, it's literally about the end goal and result in what you accomplish, and that's one thing. But we're still human. At the end of the day, I wasn't my best self during that time. When I look back on it, I just see it as a time where I learned how to let go of things and learned how to talk through my emotions," Irving said.