Marcus Smart on Kyrie Irving’s leadership dividing team: ‘That’s bulls–t’
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 29: Kyrie Irving #11 and Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics celebrate during the game against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden on March 29, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
Celtics guard Marcus Smart has no time for talk of Kyrie Irving’s leadership causing a season-derailing divide within the room.
“Bulls–t,” Smart said. “That’s bulls–t.”
Marcus Smart on the notion that Kyrie Irving’s leadership ruined the Celtics: “Bullshit. That’s bullshit.” pic.twitter.com/xWPKIxp2Bw
— Nicole Yang (@nicolecyang) May 9, 2019
Smart’s comments come one night after the Celtics saw their season come to an end with a 116-91 Game 5 loss to the Bucks, and with Irving looking straight-up disengaged throughout the night.
And on the heels of Terry Rozier’s damning comments regarding the Green’s unity throughout the season.
But Smart, the longest-tenured Celtic, instead talked about the unusual situation Irving found himself with his trade from Cleveland to Boston, where he was thrust into a leadership role vacated by Isaiah Thomas.
“Not one of us on this team knows what Kyrie has been through,” Smart said. “Probably a few amount of people in this world know what Kyrie goes through. It was hard for him as well, you know– he was forced into a situation where it was business over friendships. He had to come into a situation knowing there is a group of guys that had it going before he came there.”
Smart also noted that he hasn’t talked to Irving about his pending free agency, but noted that he respects whatever decision he makes, and that it will not impact how he looks at his teammate for the last two seasons.
