The Boston Celtics are on the verge of elimination after going down 3-1 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series to the Milwaukee Bucks following Monday’s 113-101 home-court loss. Is it possible that Kyrie Irving will soon be playing in his last game for the Celtics?
Count ESPN analyst Jalen Rose among those who believe Irving is as good as gone. Not only that, Rose said on Tuesday’s edition of “Get Up!” that Irving’s teammates are eager to see him out the door as well.
“He’s shown he can’t be the best player on a contending team,” Rose said in part. “And I agree with you, he’s done in Boston … and [his] teammates will help him pack.”
Rose’s job as an ESPN talking head is of course to provide hot takes that inspire eyebrow raising and get people talking. That said, his analysis of the tenuous Irving situation in Boston arguably is as on-point as it is compelling.
Rose’s belief that Irving cannot be a team’s best player especially resonates in light of how rumors suggest the superstar may be interested in joining forces with one of his pals on a new team.
Adding fuel to the fire, Irving made some provocative comments in the wake of Monday’s Game 4 loss in defiant response to questions about his shooting woes for the better part of the Bucks series.
Irving, one of the NBA’s most enigmatic players, has navigated a tumultuous season during which his outbursts have targeted his teammates, the media, even himself.
What is to come in Irving’s NBA future remains to be seen, as is how the Celtics will fare with their backs against the wall in Game 5 on Wednesday. That said, Rose could be right that Irving’s time in Boston is near its end.
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