NBA Finals Game 5: Boston Celtics aim to halt Dallas Mavericks’ recovery and clinch title
- Celtics ‘have championship pedigree’, Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving admits as he and his teammates try to build on their Game 4 victory
If any player knows how badly the Boston Celtics want to close out the Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, it is Dallas guard Kyrie Irving.
Irving spent two seasons with Boston (2017-19), but he has been a villain in the eyes of Celtics fans since leaving to sign with the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2019.
Chants ragging on Irving frequently echoed throughout TD Garden in Games 1 and 2 – a pair of Mavericks losses – before Boston hit the road and came out of Dallas with a 3-1 lead in the series.
And with the Celtics now knocking on the door of the franchise’s 18th title, Irving has seemingly found peace with his place in Boston history as he prepares to return to a hostile environment.
“Now being older with hindsight looking back, I definitely would have taken time to know the people in the community and talked to some of the champions that have come before me,” Irving said on Sunday. “They have championship pedigree here … They expect you to seamlessly buy into the Celtics’ pride, buy into everything Celtics.
“And if you don’t, then you’ll be outed. I’m one of the people that’s on the outs. I’m perfectly fine with that, you know what I mean. I did it to myself.”
