Celtics' Kyrie Irving Apologizes For Recent Media Fallouts

Irving said that it was difficult to fill in the shoes of LeBron James during the early stages of his career.

Celtics guard Kyrie Irving claimed responsibility and apologized for how he has recently conducted himself with media during an exclusive interview with Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.

“The way I’ve handled things, it hasn’t been perfect,” Irving said. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes that I take full responsibility for. I apologize. I haven’t done it perfectly. I haven’t said the right things all the time. I don’t want to sit on a place like I’m on a pedestal from anybody. I’m a normal human being that makes mistakes."

In January, it appeared that Irving's relationship with the Celtics' young locker room was fraying. The six-time All-Star said made it clear he felt Boston lacked experience. It became increasingly unclear if he would renege on his proclamation last fall, when he announced he planned to commit to the Celtics long-term. Speculation drew the star's ire, sometimes resulting in short, prickly answers during press conferences with reporters.

Since then, things have settled. But Irving has taken the onus to make amends, something he appeared to do earlier this season with former teammate LeBron James, whose shadow Irving pushed to get out from under in Cleveland. Irving sought advice for how to navigate as a leader, stating that he even apologized to James for past immaturity.

Recently, Boston has appeared to hit a bit of stride by winning four out of its last five games. With the Celtics positioned fifth in the East and playoffs looming, Irving has made an effort to heal any scars left through his comments with the media.

“I just want to make sure this locker room understands who I am and what I represent,” he said. “I’m trying to make sure that they set a great example for young players that are coming after them as well."