It seems all but inevitable at this point that Kyrie Irving has played his last game as a Boston Celtic.
The messy divorce between the two should come to an end when NBA free agency opens on Sunday, but it’s a separation that has been playing itself out for months already.
It started with the Celtics roller-coaster, and ultimately vastly disappointing season, but only picked up once the offseason hit.
Irving has proven that he can infuriate an entire fan base while halfway across the world, posting “philosophical” Instagram photos from his vacation in Japan.
Now, Irving technically could come back to Boston, given that the Brooklyn Nets may not want to sign the point guard without another star coming along. But in all likelihood, Irving’s Celtics tenure is over. And according his high school coach, Kevin Boyle, that’s the best move for both parties.
“Obviously the team did not achieve like they would have wanted or he would have wanted,” Boyle told The Boston Globe’s Tara Sullivan. “They have a terrific coach, a really good GM, really good players. They just didn’t jell.
“I think hopefully everybody takes what they’ve been accountable for and tries to see how they can move forward in their own careers, correct that and go forward. Usually after that, most guys, intelligent people, are going to look at it objectively when they get out of it, think what could I have done differently, and I think they’re all going to have great years.
“I think Boston is going to be happy with their season next year; there’s too much talent there.”
Boyle, who coached Irving at St. Patrick’s High School in New Jersey and now coaches at Montverde Academy in Florida, said he “would be surprised if Kyrie doesn’t have a career year next year.”
It’s definitely true that Irving and the Celtics never were able to pull it all together last year, and that’s only been further solidified by reports of a strained relationship with Jaylen Brown and a “tiff” between Irving and Danny Ainge. And certainly, Irving will have a lot to prove as a star player with his next team.
Now, it’s just down to which team that may be.
