Kyrie Irving Smells 'Blood in the Water' Following Finals Loss

The Mavericks' star guard hopped on Twitch and had a lot to say about the upcoming season

May 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game three of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As great as the Dallas Mavericks' run to the NBA Finals was, it still ended in disappointment for Kyrie Irving, as he mainly struggled against his former team. The Boston Celtics have given him fits since he left the organization and that carried over to The Finals, when he averaged 14.3 PPG in the three games in Boston. All that ending has done is motivate the veteran star.

Irving hopped on Twitch this week and spoke to his viewers about last season's finish and what to expect moving forward.

“Last year was definitely a disappointing year from the standpoint of not winning the Finals," Irving said. "We got there for a reason. Blood is definitely in the water. I’m always going to take my accountability…Definitely got to set that straight. Did not play my best at all down the stretch in the season and it’s been eating me alive in a healthy way… We’re gonna be back… Losing f---ing sucks though.”

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The Mavericks were aggressive this offseason to try and get back to the NBA Finals, acquiring Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, and Spencer Dinwiddie while losing Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Derrick Jones Jr. All of their other key pieces return and they should be a contender in the West once again.

Health will be the biggest factor next season. Luka Doncic was banged up for the entire postseason run while Irving only played in 58 regular season games last year. Irving has already had surgery this offseason to repair a broken hand he suffered while training but should be fully healthy ahead of training camp.

If the two stars can stay healthy while playing at a high level, there's no reason this team can't return to The Finals. Adding Thompson to the mix gives them the dangerous three-point shooter they didn't have last season, a major reason they couldn't beat Boston.

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