Kyrie Irving’s Growth Takes Him to NBA Finals as His Best Self Yet

Kyrie Irving has had an eventful year, following the drama he’s dealt with in previous seasons, particularly during the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. He spent two seasons with the Celtics, ending on a sour note, and faced discouraging interactions when he returned. When the Brooklyn Nets played the Celtics in the playoffs a few seasons ago, the interactions between fans and Irving were negative.

He was fined for flipping off the crowd during his battles with Celtics fans in 2021 and 2022. Celtics fans are known for their loyalty, and when Irving initially expressed his desire to re-sign, they erupted with cheers. They already had a strong duo in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and believed Irving could be the missing piece. Irving praised Brown and Tatum earlier this week when asked about their progress.

“They’ve improved tremendously. I’m nothing short of proud of those guys. I left a lot of good wisdom with them. I tried to give as much advice as I could while I was in Boston.”

Kyrie Irving vs the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/gFW9HKDNvd

— 30 (@Sportztalking) May 31, 2024

“I’m one of the best players in the world, so I know what comes with that—fair criticism,” Irving told Cato. “You know, it’s just that a little more grace could have been extended my way, especially with what I was dealing with during that time as a human being. I know sometimes in sports, it’s literally about the end goal and 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 see it as a time where I learned how to let go of things and learned how to talk through my emotions.”

Irving’s statement shows maturity and acknowledges that he understands how Boston fans will react, and he is now better equipped to handle it than he was two years ago.

“I think I’m better at consolidating my emotions now or being aware of what it’s going to be like,” Irving said. “We call it animosity, we call it hate, we call it ‘It’s going to be hell in Boston.’ I mean, there are real, live circumstances in the world that are bigger than basketball, beyond the competitive side of things and answering those questions. But I will say last time in Boston, not this regular season, but when we played in the playoffs and everyone saw me flip off the birds and kind of lose my s*%$ a little bit—that was not a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete at a high level. It wasn’t a great reflection on my end towards the next generation on what it means to control your emotions in that type of environment, no matter what people are yelling at you.”

Watching Irving these days, he is playing the game he loves with peace, similar to his former teammate LeBron James when he returned to Cleveland. It’s a new version of Irving. He is playing on both sides of the ball and has found a way to be the best leader on a team that is still growing every game. Going into the Finals, Irving is averaging 23 points and five assists per game while shooting 48.5%, a career-best in the postseason. The NBA Finals begin tonight as the Dallas Mavericks head to Boston to face the Celtics.

"I would not be here without Boston, literally and figuratively just because without me going through what I went through here, I would not be who I am today… I'm grateful that I have history here."

Kyrie Irving on his time with the Celtics.pic.twitter.com/nMYOsyZFl1

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 6, 2024