Celtics’ Brad Stevens Always ‘Liked, Appreciated’ Nets’ Kyrie Irving

The home-and-home series between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets has come and gone, but not before a plethora of questions were asked about Kyrie Irving.

Irving, as you probably know by now, ditched Boston in free agency for Brooklyn after verbally committing to re-sign with the C’s.

Fans had Nov. 27 and 29 circled on their calendars once the NBA released its schedule because of the matchups between the Celtics and Nets. But Irving didn’t play in either due to a shoulder injury. Questions still were asked, though, and Marcus Smart, for one, was tired of the questions he and his team continually received about a player who no longer is with them.

Brad Stevens knows the questions are all just part of what comes in facing a prominent athlete who no longer plays for you. Especially Irving, who had a tumultuous two years in Boston.

“We’re still answering those questions,” Stevens said, per MassLive’s Tom Westerholm. “But I get that’s part of it.

“… As we’ve talked about many times, I liked Kyrie, I appreciated Kyrie, I wished him well, and I think him coming home has been something that he wanted to do,” he added. “He was a free agent. You get to make that choice, and we can’t do anything but respect that and be happy for him.”

Stevens never fails to take the high road.

The Celtics and Nets don’t meet again until March 3 at TD Garden. And we’re willing to bet fans will be eager to see if Irving will play against his former team.