Why Did Kyrie Irving Leave Boston Celtics? Kyrie Irving’s departure from the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2019 sent shockwaves throughout the NBA. The All-Star point guard had just finished a highly publicized rollercoaster season in Boston, and many fans were left wondering what went wrong. The decision by Kyrie Irving to leave the Boston Celtics was a complex one, shaped by a range of personal and professional factors.
Irving was one of the most sought-after free agents in the league, and his decision to leave the Celtics was a major disappointment to fans who had hoped he would be the cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.
His journey with the C’s wasn’t a plain ride, and he faced injuries, wins, losses, and criticism. Irving promised his fans that he would take his team to the Championships, and hence, is also mentioned with the terms “broken promises.”
He was coming off a season in which he had led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA championship, and everyone expected a centerpiece performance from him. Cuddled among so many things, what led him to leave the Celtics? Therefore, in this article, we will examine the events that led up to his departure.
Why Did Kyrie Irving Leave Boston Celtics?
Publically, Irving stated that he left Celtics because of his grandfather’s death. His grandfather passed sometime during the 2018-2019 NBA season and for which Irving took leave and missed a game against the Utah Jazz. He revealed that his grandfather’s death broke him, and not going to therapy became his worst decision. It wasn’t a direct cause but was the fundamental reason that made things worse.
He told in an interview that after his grandfather’s death, “basketball was the last thing on my mind.” Irving felt lost and decided to stay close to his hometown. Irving had an overall great season with the Boston Celtics and one of his personal best at that time.
The 2017-18 season was great; he played 60 matches, averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. They qualified for the playoffs (finished 2nd), but Irving was ruled out due to his scheduled surgeries and recovery time. With 67 games, he averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, but the team lost in the semifinals, finishing third in the 2018-19 season.
He blamed the second season on his inability to keep the team collected for a win. He also mentioned that he differed from the team, and they all needed experience. On Feb 1, 2019, he retracted from signing the Celtics, saying that he stopped listening to his managers and would do what he saw fit for him and his family.
On July 7, 2019, Irving finally signed his contract with Brooklyn Nets for four years with $136.4 million. Irving already had some on-and-off with his fans, but this event took things to another complexity. Let’s see what happened between Kyrie and his fans.
What Happened Between Kyrie Irving And His Fans?
Fans started using slang against Irving for breaking their faith. And Kyrie responded that he didn’t care anymore. He was wrong about how he dealt with the situation, but so were the fans. Banter continued between them, but a video on Twitter (March 2021) dropped a nuke on the fans’ side. In the video, we can see Kyrie trying to rub his shoe on the Boston Celtics logo.
The fans started slandering him for his actions, and Irving’s response wasn’t satisfactory. He didn’t care and responded that he only focused on things he could control. In a game in 2022, the Boston fans started calling him names and threw slang at him. Once, he was fined $50K for showing those people his middle finger.
Summarising, Irving’s decision was based on several factors, like his grandfather’s death, slandering fans, quarrels with his teammates and coach, and failure to lead the team.
I am not taking sides if he was wrong because he preferred his family, and that’s not wrong. His signing with the Nets proved to be a good decision for his career, as we can see from his stats. Let’s hope he keeps going great and gets closure with his angry fans.
Also Read: Why Did Stefon Diggs Leave The Minnesota Vikings? Reason Behind His Exit
