Boston Celtics Rumors
Get a free trial Jayson Tatum on shortcomings of season with Kyrie Irving: 'It wasn't a Kyrie thing...it was all of us'
“Just learning that being on such a talented team, that it’s not just talent that’s going to take you over the top,” Tatum said of his experiences that season. “You have to have guys that are willing to sacrifice, guys that are willing to do the other things for the team to have a chance. “It wasn’t a Kyrie thing — it was all of us. We all took part in why that season wasn’t a success and we all learned from it. We all moved on. Some of us stayed here, other guys left and have done great things since that season. So I just look at that as a learning experience from my second year.”
Irving said that seeing Tatum and Brown develop into one of the league’s elite star duos has made him “nothing short of proud,” adding that he tried to share as much advice and wisdom with the tandem as he could during their time as teammates. He said he has continued to have brotherly relationships with Tatum and Brown in the years since, but they have not communicated since the Celtics and Mavericks clinched their bids to the Finals.
“So I’ll take the brunt of it, of all the yells and stuff like that and all the remarks, but I’ve been able to grow since then and acknowledge that I just can handle things better, especially when I want to put majority of my energy towards playing well. I can’t just be getting into it with fans like that — even though it may be fun at times — but it’s a waste of energy. It’s a waste of my time and it’s also a waste of my talent trying to answer questions from the past that people have.
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Kyrie Irving on his tenure in Boston: 'I wasn't my best self during that time'
“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. “I know sometimes in sports, it’s literally about the end goal and result in what you accomplish, and that’s one thing. But we’re still human. At the end of the day, I wasn’t my best self during that time. When I look back on it, I just see it as a time where I learned how to let go of things and learned how to talk through my emotions.”
“But I will say last time in Boston, I don’t think that was the best — not this regular season, but 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. 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.
Tim MacMahon: Kyrie Irving has regret about some interactions with hostile fans in playoff returns to Boston and is ready for his reception during these Finals. “I’m built for these moments, to be able to handle circumstances like that, and I’ve been able to grow since then.”
Irving said some “fair criticism” has come his way due to his short tenure in Boston, considering his status as one of the league’s best players, but he felt that “a little bit more grace could have been extended my way, especially what I was dealing with during that time as a human being.” “It was just a chapter in my life that I got to enjoy for the most part,” Irving said of his stint with the Celtics. “We had a great opportunity to do some special things, but it was cut short, just based off personal reasons on my end. One thing I look back on my time in Boston — I’ve said this over the past few years, but somehow it gets tossed under the rug — but 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.”
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