NBA Rumors: Kyrie Irving Reveals Major Reason Why He’s Unlikely To Re-Sign With Celtics, Per ESPN’s MacMullan
When they acquired him in a blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics thought that Kyrie Irving would be the player that would lead them back to the NBA Finals and allow them to hang another championship banner at TD Garden. Unfortunately, after two dramatic seasons in Boston, multiple signs are pointing to Irving leaving the Celtics as an unrestricted free agent to chase for his second NBA championship somewhere else.
In a recent appearance on The Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst and Jackie MacMullan of ESPN discussed Kyrie Irving and his nearing departure from the Celtics. Citing an unnamed source, MacMullan revealed some of the major reasons why Irving is unlikely to return to Boston this summer.
“Kyrie Irving didn’t like Boston,” MacMullan said, as quoted by Uproxx. “I’ve been told this by many people. He didn’t like living in Boston. He just didn’t. By the end, he had issues with Brad (Stevens), by the end he had issues with Danny (Ainge), by the end he had issues with pretty much all of us.”
Kyrie Irving’s displeasure with the Celtics was very noticeable during the 2018-19 NBA season. Whenever the Celtics lost games or struggled on both ends of the floor, Irving was seen criticizing some of his teammates, specifically their young core. Last summer, Irving expressed his desire to sign a long-term contract with the Celtics, but in the middle of the season, he had a change of heart and wanted to keep all his options open in the 2019 NBA free agency.
What will the Knicks do if they don't land Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or Kyrie Irving in free agency?@IanBegley says they have a Plan B https://t.co/RC9PrcxnMG pic.twitter.com/uQa8yEg84Y
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 21, 2019
When he opted out of the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported that Kyrie Irving has “essentially ghosted” the Celtics and only engaged in a “little, if any, communication” in the recent weeks.
In an interview with NBC Sports Boston, Celtics President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ainge strongly denied Himmelsbach’s report, saying that Irving remains respectful and has been in constant communication with the organization.
“Kyrie’s been good. He’s returned calls. He’s returned messages. He’s been excellent,” Ainge said, as transcribed by Bleacher Report. “Kyrie has always been respectful with me. Our one-on-one relationship has been good. He’s been open and honest with me from day one. I have no issues at all with Kyrie.”
Ainge and his staff are still planning to do everything they can to convince Kyrie Irving to stay. However, more than a week before the 2019 NBA free agency starts, the Celtics have reportedly started to make preparations for a scenario that will see Irving signing with another team this summer.
