Why did Kyrie Irving leave the Celtics for the Nets?

Irving left the Celtics because he wanted to return closer to his New Jersey house. He confirmed as much in his 2019 media day schedule with the Internet, and his decision to leave was influenced by the death of his grandpa early in the 2018-19 NBA season.

” After he passed, basketball was the last thing on my mind,” Irving said. There was a facial expression that I carried around with me throughout the year.

” I didn’t take the essential steps to get counseling or get treatment or anything to deal with somebody that near me passing away. I have never handled anything like that, so, for me, I reacted in uncharacteristic methods, and I needed to acknowledge that fact.”

Irving did speak with the Celtics about the problem, and he expressed a desire to re-sign. Nevertheless, after showing more on his grandfather’s death and how basketball prevented Irving from seeing him before his death, his thought process started to shift.

And I desired to re-sign. Throughout the year, it began ending up being more and more apparent that my relationship within my home life had a way greater precedence than the company or anyone,” Irving said.

” Throughout that year, [things] became rocky, and a lot of the battles I believed I could fight through from that team environment, I wasn’t ready for. I stopped working those people in a sense that I didn’t give them whatever that I could have during that season, especially with the pieces that we had.”

After the frustrating season, Irving made the exit that he had been constructing and went to bet the Internet. That enabled him to play closer to the house and provided him the high-end of playing along with Kevin Durant, who likewise signed with Brooklyn. It also paired him with another experienced leader that had a history of championship-level success.

That took some of the pressure that he “just wasn’t prepared for” off the table.

Timeline of Kyrie Irving’s departure from the Celtics

Before Irving’s last season in Boston, he committed to remaining with the group at an Oct. 4 preseason fan occasion.

” If you people have me back, I intend on re-signing here,” Irving stated to the Boston crowd, per NBA.com.

The next day, Irving continued to praise the Celtics for “gambling” on him and that he took pleasure in playing in Boston.

” I’m delighted here,” Irving stated, per ESPN. What more can you ask for from an organization than taking a possibility as far as getting me out of Cleveland?

They just wanted to reveal what being a Celtic is about and that I would come around, and I did. I believe in the franchise.”

And after that, Irving commented that he wished to see his jersey in the TD Garden rafters one day in addition to the retired varieties of other Celtics greats.

” I have every intention of finalizing with Boston next year. I do have a dream of putting my No. 11 in the rafters one day if I’m so blessed to do that,” Irving said, per NBC Sports Boston. “I’ve worked my tail off. Many excellent players have come before me, but tossing my name in Boston Celtics tradition and history is something I’m glad I can do. And I’m planning on doing so.”

Nevertheless, as the season went along, there appeared to be growing stress within the Celtics group and aggravation on Irving’s part. That capped after a Jan. 2019 video game versus the Magic after Gordon Hayward provided late-game inbounds pass to Jayson Tatum to attempt to let the then-rookie win the video game. Irving didn’t take kindly to that and shouted at Hayward after the play.

Irving wanted an opportunity at the last shot or a minimum of to touch the ball. And after the Celtics’ loss, he discussed the group’s lack of experience and how he differed from his colleagues.

” The very best thing I can say is experience, we lack it, and because of that, we have a lot of discovering to do, so we have a lot of ground to comprise in that element. You understand it gets difficult. When it gets hard, you need to believe. You have to do the best things. You can’t believe and gamble that it’s going to be the winning play. You have to be able to play through the complete 48 minutes, no matter what’s going on, and hold your head high when you make errors,” Irving said, per WEEI. “When your job is called upon, you need to do it to the very best of your ability. You have to can be found in and make an effect for the minutes that you’re playing out there.

” You need to value to be out there and to contend. It doesn’t matter who you’re breaking. It matters the kind of preparation you have– what you’re going out and trying to achieve. What’s the big picture? What are we doing here? These are a lot of things that I do not think that a few of my colleagues have faced simply every single day. It’s challenging to be excellent.”

Soon after that, Irving walked back on his desire to rejoin the Celtics. Per NBC Sports Boston, here’s what he stated on Feb. 1, 2019, three weeks after the Orlando game.

” At the end of the day, I’m going to do what’s finest for my profession,” Irving stated. “I invested the last eight years trying to do what everyone else wanted me to do– managers, other workers– and I don’t owe any person s–.

” I still believe in Boston and what they can promise for the future and what we have in regards to pieces. That’s what delighted me at the start of the season.”

” … It’s my choice at the end of the day. Who cares who said what’s finest for him? It doesn’t matter. It’s unwarranted commentary, and naturally, it’s going to continue throughout the season. I know that. I’m a professional. I’m not going to disrespect anyone. However, as I said, it comes down to what’s best for my household and me.”

That comment was marked a considerable shift in Irving’s tenor and appeared to indicate that he was thinking of– if not, preparing to– leave the Celtics.

Later that month, at the NBA All-Star Game, Irving went over with Kevin Durant, who was then on the Warriors. There was plenty of speculation about what the two were going over– perhaps a team up in Brooklyn–, but Irving said that he talked with his friends after being asked about it.

” I don’t have a private life when I’m out there in the NBA,” Irving stated, per The Boston Globe. “Somebody wants to take a video. I’m a human being talking to another best good friend of mine.

” This is the stuff that does not make the league enjoyable. Nobody helps promote the league by doing [curse] like that. Simply fictitious, putting things on like what we’re talking about, it’s crazy. I guess that’s what you desire, huh?”

Irving’s future stayed in doubt for the rest of the season. The Celtics continued to stumble along until the Eastern Conference Semifinals versus the Bucks. Irving shot 25-for-83 over their final four video games of the season versus Milwaukee, each loss, which marked the completion of the season.

Then, naturally, Irving signed with the Nets in totally free agency and finished an exit that went from unlikely to anticipated in a matter of months.

What did the Celtics trade for Kyrie Irving?

The Celtics obtained Kyrie Irving from the Cavaliers on Aug. 30, 2017, in a four-player deal. Boston sent out three gamers, and three draft picks to get the All-Star point player.

Here’s a take a look at the information of the trade:

Celtics get:

PG Kyrie Irving

Cavaliers acquire:

PG Isaiah Thomas
SF/PF Jae Crowder
C Ante Zizic
2018 first-round draft choice (Nets).
Two 2020 second-round picks.

That first-round pick that the Cavaliers obtained ended up being point guard Collin Sexton, who balanced 24.3 points, 4.4 helps, and 3.1 rebounds per video game this year for the Cavaliers.

The original framework of the deal had only one second-round choice going Cleveland’s way. Still, after they came away from Isaiah Thomas’s physical discouragement with what it showed, Boston consented to send another option their method. Thomas had suffered a hip injury the previous season and had surgical treatment to repair the issue.