Kyrie Irving speaks on facing Celtics in NBA Finals

All that happened in 2021 and 2022 when Irving was a member of the Nets. It's rather surreal that Irving is set to lock horns with the Celtics again; this time, the stakes are the highest they've ever been. 

Next Thursday, Irving will renew his rivalry with the Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Naturally, he was posed with the question of if he's ready for Boston after his Mavericks eliminated the Timberwolves.

"I'm at a place in my life where I don't even consider those past moments," Irving told "SportsCenter with SVP" on facing the Celtics. "I was able to unpack them in a healthy way and move forward as a person. I had a rough time when I was there in Boston, dealing with death in my family and a lot of off-court stuff that I wasn't ready to handle. Now that I'm in a great place — to be able to vocalize how I'm feeling — I'm ready to go back to Boston and have fun with my teammates. I know we're going to be locked in, and we're going up against a great Boston team that has earned their way to the NBA Finals."

Those answers indicate that Irving has done a lot of introspection in recent years. All that said, don't expect Celtics fans to show Irving any mercy.  

While it's not unusual for players to face the wrath of fans of their former teams, the animus between the C's and Irving cuts deep. Irving brought some of it onto himself when he assured Celtics fans that he'd re-sign with the franchise in 2018, only to renege on his promise a year later and join the Nets. 

Will Irving keep his composure when heckled by the Celtic faithful? Or will he eventually crack? The answer to those questions could determine who hoists the Larry O'Brien Trophy in a few weeks.