Kyrie Irving dropped a bombshell on fans at TD Garden on Thursday when the star guard announced his intention to re-sign with the Boston Celtics when he hits free agency next summer.
The 26-year-old was non-committal about his intentions earlier in the offseason, but his tone has changed considerably as camp has gotten underway, and Irving reportedly has relayed his intention to the C’s front office.
Speaking with the media Friday, the All-Star guard explained why he wants Boston to be his long-term home and thanked the organization for acquiring him from the Cleveland Cavaliers last August.
“You know, obviously, you have different environments,” Irving said, “but for me it was like, I’m happy here, every single day is at an all-time competitive high, I mean, what more can you ask for just from an organization taking a chance, as well as getting me out of Cleveland. Really taking a chance regardless of whether I was going to sign back or not. They had the same attitude that they just wanted to show me what being a Celtic was about and I was going to come around, and I absolutely did. I believe, I believe in the franchise, believe in the organization, believe in the players we have here. I’m just looking forward to getting this season going and focusing just on that.”
Irving starred for the Celtics through 60 games last season before having his year ended due to a procedure on his knee. Boston still made it to within one game of the NBA Finals without Irving and fellow injured star Gordon Hayward. The C’s are expected to be the class of the Eastern Conference for the foreseeable future, so it comes as little surprise that Irving wants to continue to play on the parquet floor alongside Hayward, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Good luck to the rest of the NBA, they’re going to need it.
