Jayson Tatum says Mavericks have been a ‘great fit’ for Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving's tenure with the Boston Celtics was a bit tumultuous. Things didn't end well, and that widely known aspect has added some intrigue and fuel to the upcoming 2024 NBA Finals matchup between the Celtics and Irving's new team, the Dallas Mavericks.

While there may be some negative energy from one side toward the other in the situation, neither party has shown it ahead of the series. 

Most recently, when Celtics star Jayson Tatum was asked about Irving, he had positive things to say about his former teammate while calling the Mavericks a "great fit" for Irving, as Bobby Manning of Celtics on CLNS detailed.

"It does seem like Dallas, obviously, has been a great fit [for Irving] ... the staff and the team, they gel together ... it's great seeing Kai out there playing at a high level ... and have fun doing it," Tatum said of the former Celtic.

Irving spent two seasons with the Celtics, playing in 127 regular-season games and averaging 24.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point range.

He also played in nine playoff games with the team, averaging 21.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. During his first series as a member of the Celtics, Irving shot 42.7 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. In his second and final series with Boston, he struggled to get his shot to fall, knocking down 35.6 percent of his attempts and 21.9 percent from deep.

The Celtics were eliminated from the 2019 postseason in that series, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1.

Irving can cement his legacy by winning another title and finishing the Mavericks' impressive climb and stellar run through a tough Western Conference by potentially knocking off the NBA's best team of the 2023-24 season.