Kyrie Irving's warning to potential Celtics is being taken out of context

Irving's comments have been taken out of context. He wasn't berating the Celtics organization or its fanbase. He was instructing players on what to expect from a team deeply rooted in its community — a fanbase that demands maximum effort on every possession. 

Wearing a Celtics jersey means opening yourself up to consistent criticism. The media landscape in Boston is unforgiving. The fanbase can only be appeased with championships. Anything less than a banner is deemed a failure. 

Irving pointed out those details, which is why he also admitted that he didn't take his responsibility as a Celtics player as seriously as he should have.

"So you have to show your respect here," Irving said. "I think that's what I struggled with initially was figuring out how I'm going to be a great player here while winning championships and also leading a team and selflessly joining the Celtics' organization or the cult that they have here."

Celtics fans will certainly let Irving hear their frustrations on Monday. However, in reality, his comments were complimentary rather than inflammatory; they've just been portrayed in the wrong light. 

Unfortunately for Irving, that's nothing new for his time in Boston.