(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks got Kyrie Irving for one thing and one thing only, and that was to win the NBA Finals.
Fortunately for them, they’re going to have more opportunities to try to do so, as he failed them in his first opportunity.
Irving was nowhere to be found in four out of the five games in the NBA Finals, including a win-or-go-home Game 5.
His shot wasn’t falling, his newly-found defensive prowess vanished in the air, and he clearly let the fans and the TD Garden get into his head.
However, despite being perhaps the main reason why the Mavericks weren’t up to the task, Irving didn’t allow his ill feelings towards the Celtifcs organization to get in the way of his respect for his opponents.
Right after the buzzer, he reached out to all Celtics players and congratulated them on their success.
Following the win, Irving claimed that he had done that out of respect for the journey they had been on.
He talked about how they licked their wounds after landing so many punches over the past five years or so, knowing that they had soaked all that experience in to become better and finally get over the hump (via Bleacher Report).
Kyrie gives the Celtics props pic.twitter.com/rkD1JlmLjm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 18, 2024
The Celtics had been so close to the ultimate glory, but they couldn’t seem to finish the job.
Now, all that experience has finally paid off.
They were battle-tested and knew what it took to win once and for all.
Ironically, that’s what Mavs fans expected from a former NBA champion like Kyrie, but that wasn’t the case.
The post Kyrie Irving Gets Honest About Losing To Celtics In NBA Finals appeared first on The Cold Wire.