SUMMARY
- The Celtics vs Mavericks NBA Finals series is going to be a grudge match for the fans because of Kyrie Irving.
- Joe Mazzulla claims the Celtics appreciate Kyrie as a player and they can't let anything affect their focus on winning the title.
The matchup has been set and the Boston Celtics are going to face the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. This is going to be an interesting series and a rivalry for the ages based on the history Kyrie Irving has with the Celtics. His time in Boston ended on a bitter note and Celtics fans took major offense when Irving decided to part ways with the organization.
DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. BOSTON CELTICS FOR THE NBA FINALS! 🏆
WHO YA GOT? 👀 pic.twitter.com/cJWy4OA6oS
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 31, 2024
However, his time with the Celtics brought along two successful seasons. During his first season, the Celtics made the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to Irving’s former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston made a second-round exit in his second year. However, Irving claimed he needed change and that meant he had to leave Boston and move closer to where his family was, Brooklyn.
Joe Mazzulla only has respect for Kyrie Irving
Coming into this matchup, fans are going to go at it with Kyrie Irving. During a recent press conference, a reporter asked Joe Mazzulla to weigh in on Irving being looked at as an enemy by Celtics fans and whether it has anything to do with the team. He said, “We’re all villains in someone’s eyes.” He added, “He’s a great player. He’s done a lot of good things. I think just how he’s carried himself, how he’s played in this post-season has been one of the fun things to watch as one of the themes in the NBA.”
Reporter:
“Kyrie [Irving] is going to be perceived as a villain in this series.”Joe Mazzulla:
“We’re all villains in someone’s eyes” 👀(via @NBCSCeltics)pic.twitter.com/Hnnwa3nI1F
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 31, 2024
However, he’s aware that their past history shouldn’t affect the Celtics’ focus on the task at hand. “He’s a great player, done a lot of great things over the course of his career. He played really well. So, you have to respect that. You can’t take that for granted and you have to be ready to guard him,” he concluded. Mazzulla was appointed as an assistant coach shortly after Irving parted ways with the Celtics in 2019.
Kyrie Irving prepares to put the past behind and focus on NBA Finals vs Celtics
Kyrie Irving will inevitably have to face a lot of blows from the Celtics’ fan base. Things were seemingly alright when Irving left the Celtics but it was his future actions that triggered the masses. Irving was stomped on the Celtics logo when the Brooklyn Nets visited the TD Garden a few years ago. And ever since, the Mavericks star has been caught up in a lot of off-court drama. But now, he seems to be more driven about the sport and matured in various aspects.
Kyrie Irving: The most skilled point guard to ever play the game. pic.twitter.com/kV6tQ0up8Y
— Ball Don’t Stop (@balldontstop) May 31, 2024
“I’m at a place in my life where I don’t even consider those past moments… I was able to unpack them in a healthy way and move forward as a person. I had a rough time there when I was in Boston, again, just dealing with a death in my family and dealing with a lot of off-court stuff that I wasn’t ready to handle. So now that I’m in a great place to be able to vocalize how I’m feeling, I’m ready to go back into Boston and have fun with my teammates,” Irving said.
For what it’s worth, Irving has remained good friends with his former teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It is evident that both parties have moved on from the past to focus on basketball. The Mavericks are an underdog in the NBA Finals having lost against Celtics throughout the regular season. But considering what this could mean to Kyrie, the Mavericks may come back stronger than ever before.