The latest episode of Kyrie Irving vs. The Media arrived after Thursday’s close-fought game between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, which are of course Irving’s current team and his former team. Irving turned heads when, after the game, he went through the Celtics bench and showed love to many members of his former organization.
The situation began when Irving dropped 40 on the Celtics in a 12-point win, then embraced many of his former teammates, as well as newcomers like Kemba Walker.
Kyrie daps up Kemba post-game.
No bad blood here 🙌pic.twitter.com/NkwC0V5VGb
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 12, 2021
After Irving’s performance and his connection with Celtics players and staff, Irving was asked about it by the media. Naturally, Irving was withholding and full of jokes in his interaction with reporters.
“Big surprise, huh, to a lot of people?” Irving asked.
Kyrie Irving on hugging former Celtics teammates postgame: "Big surprise, huh, to a lot of people. All that shit-talking about me and all the relationships I have with every teammate of mine. I’m glad we get to see it every single game that I’ve got some great people out here.”
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 12, 2021
Many Irving controversies ago, he was accused of mishandling relationships with many Celtics teammates, and sapping the energy and focus out of younger players in particular. We will never know precisely how accurate that all was, but most every situation is more complicated than the public perception of it, and Irving had to be frustrated with the daily play-by-play of his days in Boston.
Knowing that he still is close with many in Boston, he used the game against his former team to add to the mystery of his persona.
