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When the 2024 NBA Finals begin on Thursday, there will be no love lost between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. These two organizations have a chance to win a championship, and there are various storylines that tie into what could become a historic matchup. Perhaps the greatest headline revolves around Kyrie Irving going up against his former team. As many would expect, the city of Boston won't be kind to Kyrie, nor will they embrace him back once this series tips off. But for Irving, this championship series against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics is sort of like a reunion.
Irving has never been the type of person to hold grudges. He especially has no ill feelings towards Tatum or Brown, who were both young players in Boston during Kyrie's two seasons with the team. When questioned about what it feels like going up against his former teammates in the NBA Finals during media day on Wednesday, Irving made it clear that he's proud of everything Tatum and Brown have achieved.
“I'm excited,” Irving told reporters at media day. “They've gotten tremendously better. They've led their team to this point. So I'm proud of them. I'm looking forward to the competition because this is what we've all strived for since we were kids, basketball at this level playing against the best of the best. They have a great team over there, led by a great coach. So we're going to be in for a great series, hard, tough
series.
“They're going to give us their best. I know they're not going to slow down when they see me. They're going to come at me even more.”
Kyrie Irving had a lot of respect for his former teammates, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown:
“They’ve gotten tremendously better.” pic.twitter.com/qOQ9MsospX
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) June 5, 2024
Irving, Tatum, and Brown shared the court with one another in Boston during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. These three stars were able to advance to the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals with one another, where they lost in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Despite all the backlash he has received in his career from Boston, Irving has not let that impact his relationship with either Tatum or Brown. Even though these two stars are Irving's enemies ahead of the NBA Finals, he is still proud of what they have been able to accomplish, given the types of players Tatum and Brown were earlier in their careers when Kyrie was their teammate.
Kyrie Irving ready for Boston return in NBA Finals
The Mavericks roll into the NBA Finals with Irving on a hot streak. He recently had 36 points and five assists in the team's Game 5 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, marking his third 30-point performance in his last five games.
Irving has won a championship before, and he knows the type of mentality it takes to achieve greatness on the NBA's biggest stage. Fans and the environment are always factors in how games play out, but Kyrie isn't about to let all of the outside noise get in the way of his ultimate goal.
“You just got to breathe through it. To all my youngins out there that are dealing with some of the crowd reactions, what they're saying to you, you have to breathe, realize that is not as hostile as you think it is,” Irving explained. “Don't overthink it. Been able to work through that and understand that some of that is anxiety, some of that is nervousness. It could all be turned into a strength. There's no fear out here, man. It's basketball. The fans are going to say what they're going to say.
“I appreciate them and their relationship they have to the game, but it's about the players at the end of the day.”
This NBA Finals series in particular is going to be heavily focused on the players and the matchups that will exist. Not only do the Mavericks present Luka Doncic and Irving from their side of things, but the Celtics have been the best team in the league all season.
In addition to Tatum and Brown, they have other star-quality players like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis. Boston is an experienced, veteran team that has had the NBA Finals circled on their calendars before the season even began. While many did not expect Dallas to be in this spot, Irving has known all along that this is where the Mavericks belonged. Now, it is time for Kyrie to prove to everyone that the Mavs are the best team in the NBA.
“This is what I've been preparing for since last summer or when our season ended last year. Putting in the time to prepare for moments like this.”
