Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown did not have a friendly relationship with Kyrie Irving when they were both in Beantown, yet today they consider each other “brothers.”
While Irving is now on the Dallas Mavericks and far removed from his time in Boston, Brown made it apparent during an interview with The Ringer that he is close with his former teammate.
“[Kyrie's] one of those people that’s special. We see him at the top of the world, and we see him make some mistakes as well,” Brown said. “People can say what they want about Kyrie Irving, but he’s definitely my friend.”
Irving is no stranger to controversy, as he was suspended earlier this season for tweeting a link to an antisemitic film. A few months later he requested a trade to leave the Brooklyn Nets and join Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
Despite all that, Brown considers Irving a commendable friend, and their relationship isn't a one-way street. When Irving was serving his aforementioned suspension, Brown reached out and assured him that everything was going to be ok in the end.
“He was one of the main ones that really stood beside me,” Irving said. “And was 10 toes with me and just telling me like, ‘You know, it’s going to be all right. There’s peace of mind at the end of this road, but I want to let you know that you’re not alone in this.'”
Kyrie Irving on his relationship with Jaylen Brown:
"He's a brother of mine. Grateful that we have built a relationship off the court" pic.twitter.com/kmjV2s276N
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) December 5, 2022
However, when the two stars were together on the court with the Celtics, they didn't get along well.
“Me and Kyrie didn’t really see eye to eye when we was here,” Brown revealed. “Really at all.”
Irving and Brown both admit fault for their previous bad blood, but that now seems to be behind them.
As for the near future, the Celtics are officially headed to the 2023 NBA playoffs and the Mavs are on the brink of sneaking into the play-in tournament. Brown and Irving are also on expiring deals, so there's a chance they both end up somewhere new down the road.
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