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Hall of Famer Bob Cousy is one of the most respected names in Boston Celtics franchise history. This is exactly why people often tend to listen whenever the six-time NBA champ has something to say. The 92-year-old recently sounded off on the Celtics' decision to let Kyrie Irving walk away as a free agent back in 2019 as Boston is set to host Kyrie and his Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of their first-round matchup on Friday.
Cousy had nothing but praise for Irving and his elite level of play. According to the Celtics legend, he still can't believe how the team failed to sign Kyrie to an extension a couple of years ago:
“I saw the same Kyrie with the Celtics that I saw with Brooklyn the other night,” Cousy told Ian O'Connor of The New York Post on Thursday. “He’s even more unstoppable now when defenses can’t focus on him with [James] Harden and [Kevin] Durant. Winning in professional sports is all about skilled players; coaches don’t win. A talent like Kyrie comes along once every 20-25 years. It is so rare that when you acquire it, you don’t let it go. I’m still shaking my head.”
While Cousy does have a valid point here, you also have to take into consideration that Kyrie's situation with the Celtics was not in an ideal place back in 2019. At that point in time, it felt like it was the best decision for both parties to part ways and get a fresh start. Needless to say, things did not exactly work out for Kyrie in Boston.
Building on Cousy's point, however, it also makes sense that the Celtics might have done better by at least getting something in return for Irving. Now with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps Boston could have figured out some sort of sign-and-trade deal just so they were not left completely empty-handed.
That's all water under the bridge now, though, and for his part, it looks like Kyrie Irving is intent on reminding the Celtics just what they've been missing when he returns to his former stomping ground for Game 3 on Friday.