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The Dallas Mavericks punched their ticket to the 2024 NBA Finals on Thursday, May 30 by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 124-103, ultimately winning the series by a score of 4-1.
There are numerous storylines surrounding the Mavs’ return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, one of which being the crowning of Luka Doncic as perhaps the best player in the league.
Another of the biggest storylines heading into the finals is the rehabilitation of Kyrie Irving, who has been a model pro and teammate this year after about half a decade of being a constant source of controversy.
While NBA analysts such as Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith are ready to give Irving his flowers, one section of the basketball world that certainly isn’t are Boston Celtics fans, who remain scorned by Irving’s time in Beantown from 2017 to 2019.
Ahead of Irving’s return to Boston — while he’s played in Boston 4 times since being traded away, the NBA Finals will bring an entirely different level of scrutiny and pressure — Celtics fans are already sharpening their knives but digging up an old video of (allegedly) Kyrie Irving calling into a Boston radio station under a fake name to defend himself and tout his own talents.
In the below clip, the hosts of the program, Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand are played back the clip of the call and cannot believe their ears when they realize it’s likely Kyrie.
Remember when that lunatic Kyrie called into 98.5 with a fake name to defend himself???
https://t.co/yvhI69zdBc— Boston Sports Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) May 31, 2024
Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals will tip off in Boston, who will have home-court advantage in the series, on Thursday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. EST. At this time, the Celtics are favored in the matchup by 6.5 points despite the fact that the Mavericks are 7-2 on the road in the postseason this year.
Barring a sweep, which seems unlikely given how well-matched the two teams seem, or injury, Irving will play in at least three games in Boston during the NBA Finals: Game 1, Game 2, and Game 5 (not confirmed but extremely likely). Game 7 will also be held in Boston if necessary.