DALLAS Mavericks star Kyrie Irving said he approached his move to the Boston Celtics with the wrong mindset.
The eight-time NBA All-Star blamed his struggles in Beantown on his failure to join the Celtics “cult” after arriving in a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.
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The Cavaliers sent Irving to Boston in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick.
But the former No. 1 overall pick left the Celtics after two seasons, and his departure led to a rivalry with the team’s fans that continues to this day.
Asked about his rocky relationship with the city again before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Mavericks star admitted he didn’t do enough to blend in after joining the C’s.
His attitude was wrong, Irving continued, in part because Boston was not his main business destination.
“So when the commercial opportunity was approached by me,” he said.
“Instead of going back and appreciating the history of the Celtics, I just came in with an open mind and thought, ‘All right, I’m going to go with the flow on this.’
“But I think that was the wrong approach. Just being young.”
Irving, 32, said that in hindsight, he should have spent more time getting to know people in the community.
The 6-foot-2 point guard added that he should have asked the Celtics legends for guidance on what kind of pressure he would be under instead of waiting for them to offer it themselves.
“They are one of the winningest franchises in all of sports, so you have to show your respect here,” he said.
“I think that’s what I struggled with initially, was figuring out how I’m going to be a great player here while winning championships and also leading a team and selflessly joining the Celtics organization or the cult that they have here.”
“That’s what they expect you to do as a player. They expect you to perfectly buy into Celtics pride, buy into everything Celtics.
“And if you don’t, you will be discovered.”
Irving said he accepted the fact that he was “one of the people on the outside” in Boston, adding that “he did this to himself.”
NBA Finals Schedule
Thursday, June 6 – Game 1 – Dallas Mavericks 89-107 Boston Celtics
Sunday, June 9th – Game 2 – Dallas Mavericks 98-105 Boston Celtics
Wednesday, June 12 – Game 3 – Boston Celtics 106-99 Dallas Mavericks
Friday, June 14 – Game 4, 8:30 pm ET – Boston Celtics 84-122 Dallas Mavericks
Mon, June 17 – Game 5, 8:30 pm ET – Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics
Thursday, June 20 – Game 6, 8:30 p.m. ET – Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks
Sun, June 23 – Game 7, 8pm ET – Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics
(Boston beats Dallas 3-1)
The Mavericks star also noted that while he may not be receiving a warm welcome at TD Garden, he remains friends with many members of the Celtics organization.
The Mavericks recorded a surprising 122-84 victory over the C’s in Game 4 to cut the series deficit to 3-1.
Irving finished the night with 21 points, four rebounds and six assists.
Even so, Boston remains the favorite for the title, as no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit.
Game 5 takes place at TD Garden on Monday night, kicking off at 8:30 pm ET.
The Celtics hope to win their 18th NBA championship.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
