Report: Anonymous Celtics player says it’s hard to play with Kyrie Irving
Nov 14, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (11) controls the ball during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving seems just as polarizing off the court as he is on the court.
One day after Marcus Smart came to Irving’s defense as the Celtics’ leader, one anonymous Celtics player discussed the difficulties of playing alongside Irving with the Watch Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.
“Everyone respects [Irving’s] talent, but he’s hard to play with,” the unnamed player allegedly told Goodman earlier this season. “It’s all about him.”
The latter part is not exactly shocking, as Irving landed in Boston because he was sick of being in LeBron James’ shadow and wanted to lead his own team, and repeatedly tried to calm the masses amid Boston’s struggles this year by talking about his own skill-set and past achievements.
But the player also talked about Irving’s wildly unpredictable mood, which certainly appeared to impact the Green’s drive this season, with the team often taking on Irving’s body language and personality.
“He takes the air out of the locker room,” the mystery Celtic said. “And you just never know what you’re going to get with him.”
Nevertheless, the Celtics are expected to remain focused on keeping Irving in Boston when he opts out of his contract in July.
