Has the Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving grown since last facing the Celtics in NBA Playoffs? He thinks so

In a match-up that will see the West’s best against the East’s finest, Kyrie Irving will be facing his old team and one that he left under less-than-ideal circumstances. What that means for either team remains to be seen, but the guard himself has now given insight into his own thoughts as he prepares for a shot at a title.

Kyrie Irving & the Celtics have a complicated relationship

You may recall that Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving spent two seasons playing for the Boston Celtics from 2017-19. It wasn’t the best showing of Irving’s career and with that as context, his departure wasn’t exactly what you would call pleasant. Indeed, the relationship would only deteriorate over the next few seasons after Irving joined his new team and rival, the Brooklyn Nets, culminating in one infamous event that saw him ‘flipping the bird’ at a fan in the TD Garden following a Game 1 loss in the 2022 NBA playoffs.

At the time, Irving was fined $50,000 for his actions, but according to the conversation he had recently with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, he doesn’t believe that moment to be an accurate reflection of the man he is today. “...when we played in the playoffs and everyone saw me flip off the birds and kind of lose my s--- a little bit–that wasn’t a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete on a high level,” Irving said. “It wasn’t a great reflection on my end towards the next generation on what it means to control your emotions in that type of environment, no matter what people are yelling at you.”

Interestingly, Irving also spoke to the way in which his time with the Celtics who were essentially a young team that was building, contributed to the role he now has with the Mavericks i.e., one of leadership. Indeed, despite having the likes of Luka Doncic on the roster, Irving has become a focal point for his teammates who often turn to him for guidance. It is against that backdrop that the Mavs and Irving now find themselves in the NBA finals, something the franchise hasn’t achieved since 2011. “...the greatest thing I learned from Boston was just being able to manage not only my emotions or just what’s going on on a day-to-day basis of being a leader of a team or being one of the leaders, and having young guys around you that have their own goals, but you have to learn how to put the big picture first,” he said. Ultimately, whether Irving has achieved the growth he speaks of or not, we can assume that he and his past will be a major talking point during the series. Of course, the only way the best way he can silence the doubters, would be to lead his team to a title.