Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum Talks Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving Ahead of NBA Finals

Tatum was asked about his former Boston teammate and why they couldn't reach the pinnacle on those teams

Dec 19, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) high fives with guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks will play in the NBA Finals starting Thursday, June 6th, against the Boston Celtics. Of the many storylines connecting the two franchises in this series, Mavericks' guard Kyrie Irving making his return to Boston is the biggest talking point so far.

Irving, who Cleveland drafted out of Duke, asked for a trade from the Cavaliers in 2017 and was shipped up to Boston, where he spent two seasons. While the Celtics had some success in his first season, reaching the conference finals, his second season disappointed Celtics fans as they lost in the second round in five games. Irving went from wanting to re-sign with Boston before the season to not being ready to leave quickly enough, signing with the Brooklyn Nets that offseason.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving Not Taking Fourth NBA Finals Appearance for Granted

Since then, there's been a lot of animosity between Irving while he was in Brooklyn and Celtics fans. From Irving burning sage in the arena, flipping fans off behind his head before an inbounds head, stomping on the "Lucky" midcourt logo, and cursing out a fan on his way back to the locker room, there's no shortage of hate to go around.

In a press conference on Saturday, Celtics' star Jayson Tatum, who was on both of those Celtics teams and also played at Duke, was asked about what he learned from Kyrie Irving and to reflect on how his tenure ended.

"It wasn't a Kyrie thing, it was all of us. We all took part in why that season wasn't a success & we all learned from it."

Jayson Tatum reflects on what he learned from the 2018-19 season pic.twitter.com/gjC3cld02u

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 1, 2024

"It was some ups and downs," Tatum started. "For me being a first/second-year player, being around a superstar essentially every day, seeing how to navigate that space... On the court, he's one of the most talented guys I've ever seen. Seems like a very long time ago but I've got a lot of great memories from having (Kyrie Irving) as a teammate."

He'd later continue "Learning that being on such a talented team that it's not just talent that's going to take you over the top. You have to have guys that are willing to sacrifice, guys that are willing to do the other things in order for the team to have a chance. It wasn't a Kyrie thing, it was all of us. We all took part in why that season (2018-19) wasn't a success and we all learned from it. We all moved on; some of us stayed here, other guys left, and have done great things since that season."

This is a great response from Tatum, who could've gained a lot of favor with his fanbase if he threw some slight shade Irving's way, but he answered it maturely by saying it wasn't just a Kyrie issue. Tatum was young, Jaylen Brown was still ascending as a player, and the Celtics were really just ahead of schedule. In Tatum's seven seasons with Boston, they've been to the conference finals five times with two appearances in the NBA Finals, losing their first appearance in 2022 to the Golden State Warriors.

If there was a year for Boston to get over the hump, it likely has to be this year. Every other Eastern Conference team deemed a threat had a major injury either before or during the Playoffs, allowing an already great Celtics team to dominate the East Playoffs. They led the NBA with a 64-18 record this season and lost just two games throughout the Playoffs. But Jrue Holiday and Al Horford are only getting older, Tatum and Brown are only going to get more expensive, and Kristaps Porzingis has been injury-prone throughout his career. They're likely feeling pressure to get it done this year against the 5th-seeded Dallas Mavericks.

READ MORE: Stephen A. Smith Thrilled For Dallas Mavericks-Boston Celtics NBA Finals: 'Gonna Be Special'

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