Point guard Kyrie Irving may be leaving the city of Boston on a sour note, but his former Celtics head coach has nothing but positive words for the new Brooklyn Nets floor general.
“I wish him nothing but success,” Stevens said about Kyrie to Brian Robb of Boston Sports Journal.
Irving signed with the Nets as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, teaming up with USA Basketball friends and All-Stars forward Kevin Durant and center DeAndre Jordan.
All three players signed four-year deals to compete for the Nets, although Durant, who ruptured his Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, will likely miss all of the upcoming season for his new team.
In retaliation, the Celtics signed three-time All-Star point guard Kemba Walker to replace Irving. Walker had been a mainstay at the one position for the Michael Jordan–owned franchise in Charlotte, leading them to two playoff series in his tenure in North Carolina despite the glaring lack of talent surrounding him.
As a change of pace and scenery, Walker decided to sign a max contract with Boston, essentially jumping into Kyrie's role next to young emerging talents Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown and veteran swingman Gordon Hayward.
The Celtics also lost All-Star big man Al Horford, who signed with Atlantic Division rivals Philadelphia 76ers for a deal worth slightly less than $100 million over four years.
Irving did not appear in the playoffs for the Celtics in 2018 and only managed a second-round exit with Boston this past postseason, disappointing fans in what was supposed to be a sky's-the-limit season for the franchise.
Follow Us
Subscribe