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Kyrie Irving‘s two seasons with the Boston Celtics didn’t go according to plan, and the star guard says that part of the reason was his struggle to figure out the “cult” around the organization.
(And he may have a valid point.)
“I think that’s what I struggled with initially, was figuring out how I’m going to be a great player here while winning championships and also leading a team and selflessly joining the Celtics’ organization or the cult that they have here,” Irving said ahead of Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
“That’s what they expect you to do as a player. They expect you to seamlessly buy into the Celtics’ pride, buy into everything Celtics. And if you don’t, then you’ll be outed.”
Irving made the NBA All-Star Game in each of his two seasons in Boston. He also made second-team All-NBA for the lone time in his career while in Boston. But it didn’t translate to postseason success, which is all that Celtics fans measure by.
Boston fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-3, in the Eastern Conference Finals in Irving’s first season with the organization. They then fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round the following year.
It ultimately ended with an ugly divorce when Irving left for the Brooklyn Nets in free agency.
Now, Irving said he would have done things differently.
“I definitely would have taken time to know the people in the community and talked to some of the champions that have come before me and actually extend myself to them instead of the other way around, expecting them to be there giving me advice,” he said. “Because they have been through this. They have championship pedigree here. They have shown it for years. They are one of the most winningest franchises in all of sports.”
Boston holds a 3-1 lead over Irving and the Mavericks in the NBA Finals and is one game away from winning a record 18th championship.