A day might come when Kyrie Irving realizes that publicly throwing half his team under the bus isn’t a particularly beneficial strategy toward winning basketball games.
We’re still waiting, however, and we’ll probably be waiting a long time.
The Boston Celtics guard recently joined ESPN’s Rachel Nichols for a wide-ranging interview, during which he offered candid remarks about his team’s chemistry issues. There’s a lot to unpack in the interview, and none of it paints a pretty picture of the 2018-19 Celtics.
One of the most revealing parts came when Irving discussed teammate Terry Rozier, who multiple reports have indicated is unhappy with his playing time following a breakout postseason run.
“I initially didn’t play the minutes I wanted to play. I’m 26 years old heading into my prime. Like why do I have to wait for anybody?” Irving said. “Terry Rozier — he played in the playoffs (last season), he did extremely well. Coming back, that’s a natural competition that me and him have. Like, it is what it is. No one wants to say it, but I will.
“It’s part of their growth. When you have winning in mind, then you’ve got to do what it takes, but you’ve got to understand your teammates.”
Again, in what world does Irving think this is a good idea? How hard is it to tell Nichols, “No thanks, I’ll pass?”
But hey, when you love to hear yourself talk as much as Irving does, it’s hard to turn down ESPN interviews.
