Last season represented a massive story of redemption for Kyrie Irving. After experiencing so much drama during his stint with the Brooklyn Nets, followed by missing the postseason when he was initially traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the superstar point guard had something to prove going into the 2023-24 season. Irving proceeded to average 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while shooting 49.7 percent from the floor overall, 41.1 percent from 3-point range, and 90.5 percent from the charity stripe, helping Luka Doncic lead the Mavs to their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years
As good of a redemption story as it was, it came to an abrupt halt during the NBA Finals, as Irving struggled to perform at a high level against his former team, the Boston Celtics. In that series, which ultimately ended in a five-game gentleman’s sweep, Irving averaged 19.8 points while shooting just 41.4 percent from the floor and 27.6 percent from deep. During a recent live stream on his Twitch channel, Irving took responsibility for his letdown performance, saying it’s been “eating him alive” throughout the offseason.
“Last year was definitely a disappointing year from the standpoint of not winning the Finals. … We got there for a reason,” Irving said.
“Blood is definitely in the water. I’m always going to take my accountability. … Definitely got to set that straight. Did not play my best at all down the stretch in the season, and it’s been eating me alive in a healthy way.” Related: Kyrie Irving Takes Blame for Mavs’ NBA Finals Loss: ‘It’s Been Eating Me Alive’ Celtics star Jayson Tatum went on The Tonight Show last week and predicted a Finals rematch between Boston and Dallas in 2025. Irving is apparently setting his sights toward a rematch as well, as he changed his profile picture on Instagram to a picture of him standing in the middle of the Celtics’ court at TD Garden.
Irving has already built an amazing redemption story in Dallas, both on and off the court. If he can help get his team back to the Finals and win it this time, it would be a story worth turning into a movie.
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