Kyrie Irving tells potential future Celtics ‘do your homework’

2024 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability

BOSTON — Playing for the Boston Celtics is unlike playing for any other franchise in the NBA — the arenas are always full and loud, history follows you everywhere, there are Celtics fans in every city and the fan base is rabid. The Celtics are tied to its city and their fan base like no other. Putting on Celtics green comes with opportunities but also pressure.

Kyrie Irving — respectfully — thinks players coming to Boston should be ready for all that.

“You just expect to have a magnifying glass on you everywhere you go… So the community is integrated into the Celtics team, that’s probably the best way I could say it,” Irving said in Boston the day before Game 5 of the NBA Finals. “The community is what makes the Celtics great here, the Boston pandemonium. That’s what makes the space so loud and so special, and they take pride in it.

“If any player is coming here, getting drafted here, thinking about coming here in free agency, you’re getting traded, I just think, do your homework and make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

Throughout the Finals, a more mature, elder statesman Irving has been out in front of the media — the guy who has been there before, the guy used to NBA Finals pressure. With that, he’s been open about his two seasons in Boston — including the fact it was not on his list of preferred destinations before he was traded there.

“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”

Kyrie Irving opens up about his time in Boston, and drops some interesting nuggets pic.twitter.com/NzJwG3iJ4O

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 16, 2024

“When I look back on it getting traded here, this wasn’t one of my options. You know, it wasn’t like number one on my list,” Irving said. “So when the trade opportunity got approached me, instead of going back and appreciating the Celtics history, I just came in with an open mind and just kind of like, ‘Alright, I’m just gonna go with the flow into this,’ but I…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kyrie-irving-tells-potential-future-135925187.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-17 13:59:25

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