Kyrie Irving remains persona non grata in Boston, but is it time for Celtics fans to bury the hatchet after their team took down Irving and the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals?
That’s the question that Steve Driscoll of The Spun posed to the Celtics’ Derrick White, Al Horford and Payton Pritchard on Monday.
Asked if Celtics fans should forgive Irving after beating him on the biggest stage, White said yes.
“I think Kyrie has done a big part for a lot of guys on this team,” White told Driscoll. “A lot of guys were young when he was on the team. Like I understand all that went down, but I think it’s just all part of the story, all part of the journey.”
Irving appeared in 127 games for the Celtics from 2017-19 before his tenure ended in controversy. Interestingly, he never suited up alongside White, who arrived during the 2021-22 season, but did play with Horford and young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Prior to this year’s NBA Finals, Irving expressed responsibility for his failed stint in Boston, though that didn’t stop Celtics fans from letting him hear their disdain throughout the series.
“I don’t mind, after a few years, taking the brunt of the blame (for my time in Boston not working out),” Irving said. “(I’m) one of the best players in the world so I know what comes with that fair criticism. You know, it’s just that a little bit more grace could have been extended my way, especially with what I was dealing with during that time as a human being.”
Irving averaged 19.8 points per game but shot just 41.4% from the field and 27.6% from three-point range against Boston in the NBA Finals as the Celtics took the series in five games.
Related: Kyrie Irving: ‘I Failed Miserably’ During Celtics Run