Kyrie Irving's decision to leave the Celtics in favor of the Nets this offseason was met with a fair amount of criticism from NBA fans. For Celtics icon Kevin Garnett, Irving simply didn't have the “cojones” for Boston.

Garnett gave a direct response when asked if he was surprised about Irving's decision to leave the Celtics.

Via Stefan Bondy of New York Daily News:

“No,” Garnett said flatly, before implying that Irving, the Nets point guard, didn’t have the mental makeup for Beantown.

“Boston’s a tough town, dawg. You have to have some major cojones to be there,” Garnett said. “You got to want that. The people want it for you. That’s why Paul (Pierce) is perfect for it. Paul wants the shot every time. Like, ‘You’re 0-for-14.’ And he’s like, ‘I know, but they WANT it.'”

Garnett, who once played for the Nets, also noted that he thinks Irving and Kevin Durant joined the wrong New York team:

“If they did the Nets, I thought they should have done the Knicks, if I’m being honest.” Garnett said. “I’m not a Knick fan by far. But if they come to the city and dominate, man. …The first superstar to hit New York and be vibing is going to be bigger than life. Remember I said that. Any piece of hope in this city is going to skyrocket. People are waiting.”

Unfortunately, the Nets have been without Kyrie Irving's services in recent games, as he's recovering from a right shoulder impingement. Durant, meanwhile, is expected to miss all of this season as he rehabs from an Achilles injury. Still, Brooklyn has racked up a 10-10 record through its first 20 games of this campaign.

The Nets will be back in action on Wednesday night, when they'll travel to Atlanta for a matchup against the Hawks. Tip-off inside State Farm Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Irving, who still hasn't done any contact work, will not travel with the team and is expected to continue his recovery process for at least two more games, according to a report from ESPN's Malika Andrews.