Subscribe
Follow Us
It's no secret that Kyrie Irving was disengaged from his teammates and coaches last season with the Boston Celtics. By now, everyone knows Irving was withdrawn from the Celtics after his grandfather passed away in October. A lot changed with Irving after he told Boston fans he was going to re-sign with the club before the season started.
With the Celtics and Irving's new club — the Brooklyn Nets — set to play each other on Wednesday, more leaks about Irving's aloofness behind the scenes from last season have emerged, via Jay King of The Athletic:
He would go through stretches, sources said, where he just shut off. One assistant coach said he once rode about 30 or 40 flights on an elevator with Irving — and the guard did not say a single word. By February, the organization had realized how much Irving’s mindset could impact the rest of the team.
Then Irving collected 26 points and 11 assists to beat the Bucks 112-90 in the series opener. Boston won that game decisively enough on the road that Paul Pierce said on ESPN that he considered the series over.
While Celtics teammates worked out on the floor the next day, sources say Irving climbed into the stands and sat by himself. The practice was voluntary, but the way he disengaged himself — while his teammates put in work — struck observers.
“He was just disconnected,” said one witness.
Irving signed a four-year deal with the Nets in free agency. The Celtics replaced Irving with Kemba Walker, who has been great so far with Boston since he appears to be the anti-Irving type.
There's no denying Irving's talents on the basketball floor. He's one of the best players in the league. However, his demeanor and attitude behind the scenes can be shaky at times and it appears the Celtics and the players in the locker room are better off without Uncle Drew.
