Celtics fans not only celebrated their team winning a title on Monday night but also reveled in sending Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks home in the NBA Finals. Irving, who remains a villain in Boston, saw his team go 0-3 at TD Garden during the championship round.
It’s been five years since Irving left the Celtics via free agency, yet fans still harbor strong resentment toward the talented but unpredictable guard. Throughout the series, Irving did little to mend his image with Boston fans. He criticized the Boston crowd after Game 1 and referred to the Celtics as a "cult" before Game 5.
However, Celtics fans had the last laugh as their team clinched its 18th franchise title with a commanding 108-66 victory over Irving and the Mavericks. In a surprising move, Irving stopped by the Boston bench to congratulate the Celtics on their impending victory, catching many, including head coach Joe Mazzulla, off guard. Despite the animosity, several Celtics players remain close with their former teammate.
After the loss, Irving explained that his visit to the Boston bench was a gesture of respect for the Celtics' journey to the NBA title. He acknowledged that the Celtics became the perfect team during their postseason run.
"It was emotional anyway. I mean, every series was emotional, just because I was uncertain about how it was going to go and how we were going to respond to a little bit of adversity. We finally ran into a team that beat us fair and square, and we weren't able to respond to a lot of their runs or execute at a high level. So when I was shaking everybody's hands, that was more of a sign of respect for their journey," Irving said.
"They have been through an incredible five-year span of going to Game 7s or losing in the Finals, so they know what this bitter feeling feels like, being up here answering questions about what this next year holds. I think they used everything as motivation," Irving remarked.
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"They just came together as a team. They were healthy, and they really kept their heads down, not paying attention to personal accolades. They came together as a team and embraced each person being great in their role, selflessly putting their best foot forward. We learned more than anything from this series about what it takes to not only get back to this level but win at this level. The Celtics are the perfect example this season because of how much they have dealt with in the past few years."
Irving's departure could have left the Celtics in disarray, but instead, the franchise focused on developing Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and surrounding their young talent with complementary pieces. It all paid off Monday night, and Irving commended his former teammates for their growth and their ability to block out the outside noise while focusing on winning a championship.
"It's admirable, you know, and to see Jaylen Brown win Finals MVP? Yeah, that was big-time to see that trophy in his hands. I think he and JT should have split it, but those two guys have almost been like students and are now becoming teachers in their own right," Irving said of Tatum and Brown. "So to see them accomplish that, I'm really proud and also extremely motivated to get back to this position in the next few years with my guys and be able to win this thing."
The Celtics' defense made life extremely difficult for Irving throughout the NBA Finals. He averaged only 19.8 points per game, a number inflated by his 35-point effort in Game 3 when the series shifted to Dallas. But the Mavs were already in an 0-2 hole after Irving scored just 28 points over the first two games. In Game 5, he managed just 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting. For the series, Irving shot an abysmal 27.6 percent from three-point range.
This was Irving's first full season in Dallas, and he hopes the Mavs can grow into a team like the one they just lost to in the Finals.
"Basketball is a game of centimeters, sometimes inches, so when a ball is flying off your hands, sometimes it feels good, sometimes it doesn't. That's the maturity aspect," he said after Game 5. "You have to move on to the next thing. Whether I'm playing well specifically scoring-wise or not, there is a team aspect here that we're becoming more dialed into.
"I can score 25 points, but if I don't, we have to pick each other up. I think that's what we're learning about each other now. There will be games where the shooting won't go well, particularly for me or someone else, and that's where we have to come together as a group. Other players make plays and create opportunities for one another. I've been at the point of attack through most of my drives going against the Celtics one-on-one or coming off screens. So that's what the summer is for—continuing to work on those things, adjusting to the physicality, and being in a better position next year."
Irving remains "very confident" in Dallas and believes they'll be back in title contention next season.
"I see an opportunity for us to build our future in a positive manner where competing for championships becomes a regular thing for us. Spiritually, I enjoyed this journey more than any other season because of the redemption arc and learning so much about myself, my teammates, and the organization. There are a lot of good people here, so it makes coming to work a lot of fun," he said.
Boston fans will always hold some disdain toward Irving for how things ended with the Celtics and for his antics during his Brooklyn Nets days. However, his departure allowed Tatum and Brown to grow into the champions they are today, making his exit a blessing in disguise.
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