Kyrie Irving didn’t play well in Boston. But he has a chance to redeem himself in Game 5 Monday night. The Celtics lead the Mavericks 3-1 in the NBA Finals but blew an opportunity to sweep in historical fashion — losing 122-84 — and gave Irving another shot at redemption against his old team, which he reminisced about prior to Game 5.
Irving admitted that he didn’t buy into Celtics culture after being traded there from Cleveland in 2017 following a request to be moved, according to The Athletic . He referred to it as “cult that they have here,” and said he made a mistake because “you have to show your respect here.” Irving also added that he, at first, struggled in Boston with “figuring out” how to be a great player “while winning championships and also leading a team and selflessly joining the Celtics’ organization or the cult that they have here.
” “That’s what they expect you to do as a player,” Irving said. “They expect you to seamlessly buy into the Celtics’ pride, buy into everything Celtics. And if you don’t, then you’ll be outed.
I’m one of the people that’s on the outs (laughing). I’m perfectly fine with that, you know what I mean. I did it to myself.
They don’t welcome me with a warm embrace, even though I know a lot of people in the organization and I’m friends still with some of them.” Irving’s Celtic tenure ended after just two seasons. In the first, he was his usual on-the-court self as one of the great indivi.
