Kyrie Irving approaching Boston Finals matchup with ‘no fear’

In the week-plus leading up to the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, plenty has been made of Kyrie Irving's return to Boston. During NBA Finals Media Day on Wednesday, Irving finally got to speak on the matter himself.

"I mean, I've experienced Boston twofold- my first few years being in the NBA playing for the Cavs, then coming here to Boston, then being right down the street in Brooklyn, now being here in the Finals playing against them in a potential four-to-seven-game series," Irving said. After being traded to the Celtics in 2017 Irving became the face of the franchise, but the relationship quickly soured and he left as a free agent in 2019 (after telling fans he planned to stay) to sign with the rival Brooklyn Nets.

Irving hasn't exactly received a warm welcome at TD Garden since he left the Celtics. Boos are just the tip of the iceberg, with fans also chanting directly at him. While with the Nets Irving had his responses, including stomping on the Lucky logo at midcourt after a game and flipping fans off.

This time around, with a championship on the line, Irving says he plans to take a calmer approach.

"You just got to breathe through it. To all my youngins out there that are dealing with some of the crowd reactions, what they're saying to you, you have to breathe, realize that is not as hostile as you think it is. Don't overthink it," Irving said. "Been able to work through that and understand that some of that is anxiety, some of that is nervousness. It could all be turned into a strength."

"There's no fear out here, man. It's basketball. The fans are going to say what they're going to say," Irving continued. "I appreciate them and their relationship they have to the game. But it's about the players at the end of the day."

Irving also touched on facing his former team and former teammates - specifically Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown - regardless of the crowd environment around them.

"I'm excited. They've gotten tremendously better. They've led their team to this point," he said. "So I'm proud of them. I'm looking forward to the competition because this is what we've all strived for since we were kids, basketball at this level playing against the best of the best."

"They have a great team over there, led by a great coach. So we're going to be in for a great series, hard, tough series," Irving added. "They're going to give us their best. I know they're not going to slow down when they see me. They're going to come at me even more."

On the other side Celtics players were asked about defending Irving, who is averaging 23 points and five assists per game so far in the postseason.

"That's a great player over there, so it's going to be a full-team effort. Him and Luka [Doncic]," Brown said. "Making sure we're alert, making sure we're back in transition, and do the best we can."

Asked the key to defending Irving one-on-one, All-NBA guard Jrue Holiday replied "pray" before adding "I think it's just familiarity. Just I think knowing each other's game, doing your best to stay in front of him, trying to take away the things that will probably hurt you the most. Probably most of all having help. Him being able to see multiple guys on the court, making it look like it's crowded, making shots as tough as possible, even though he's a tough shot-maker."

TD Garden was empty when Kyrie Irving stepped foot on the floor Wednesday for NBA Finals Media Day, but that won't be the case in 24 hours when Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips off. That's when he'll face the crowd, as well as his former teammates, as the series gets underway.

Coverage of Game 1 can be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub and the BetMGM Celtics Radio Network. A special hour-long pregame with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell begins at 7:30 p.m. ET leading up to an 8:30 tip.

Keep scrolling for more on the NBA Finals matchup...

The Boston Celtics now know their opponent for the 2024 NBA Finals. Three days after they wrapped up the Eastern Conference Finals by sweeping the Indiana Pacers on Monday, the Dallas Mavericks took care of business winning Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals over the Minnesota Timberwolves to punch their ticket to the championship round.

Despite both Conference Finals series being done, there is still plenty of time to prepare for this series - and fans and media have plenty of time to hype up the matchup. Game 1 doesn't tip off for another week.

Game 1 in Boston: Thursday, June 6 at 8:30
Game 2 in Boston: Sunday, June 9 at 8:00
Game 3 in Dallas: Wednesday, June 12 at 8:30
Game 4 in Dallas: Friday, June 14 at 8:30
Game 5 in Boston: Monday, June 17 at 8:30*
Game 6 in Dallas: Thursday, June 20 at 8:30*
Game 7 in Boston: Sunday, June 23 at 8:00*

*If necessary

Coverage of all NBA Finals games can be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub and the BetMGM Celtics Radio Network. Extended pregame coverage will begin an hour before each scheduled tipoff, with extended postgame coverage following the final whistle.

Both of these teams are looking to end title droughts that are over a decade long. The Celtics last won in 2008, and this will be their third try since at capturing that elusive Banner 18. Their two previous tries came in 2010 and 2022.

Dallas' first and only title came in 2011. The Mavericks have only reached the NBA Finals one other time in their history, when they lost to the Miami Heat in 2006.

This season, the Celtics finished 64-18. That was good for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the best record in the NBA. They beat the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in the first two rounds before sweeping the Pacers.

The Mavericks were 50-32 this season, finishing in fifth place in the West. Spurred by the acquisitions of Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at the trade deadline they won 16 of 18 games down the stretch to avoid the play-in tournament.

Both of the Mavericks' first two playoff series were much closer than this one. They beat the Los Angeles Clippers in six games in the first round, then went to six games with the Oklahoma City Thunder last round. In each of the first two rounds the Mavericks lost Game 1 and Game 4.

Now the Celtics and Mavericks are set to meet in the 2024 NBA Finals. Let's take a look at the top storylines between these teams heading into the series...

This series will feature two of the top scorers in the NBA with Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic. Both have been All-NBA each of the last three seasons. 

Although they play in different conferences and don't go head-to-head often, the debate between these two players has been popular in the past, especially between the fan bases. Each is seen as a potential 'face' of the NBA, something that will certainly be discussed further throughout and after the series. 

Doncic has generally posted better statistics than Tatum, highlighted by his first career scoring title this year when he averaged 33.9 points per game. Meanwhile, throughout their careers Tatum has looked like the more well-rounded player and had more team success. He's also won four of the six head-to-head matchups over the last six years. 

In a league where player-to-player debates and discussion dominate the discourse, this matchup should loom large over these Finals. Whichever player comes out on top will have a significant leg up in those debates in the future. 

This storyline shouldn't need much of an introduction. Since Irving was traded to the Celtics in 2017. After telling fans he planned to re-sign with the team he ended up leaving unceremoniously as a free agent just two years later.

Since Irving's departure he's been among the most-hated athletes in Boston. The TD Garden crowd has saved an extra level of hostility for him, and he's returned the favor. Most notably, during his last playoff series against the Celtics in 2021 (while with the Brooklyn Nets) he stomped on the Lucky the Leprechaun logo after Game 4.

In games since that stomp, Irving has gone 0-10 in head-to-head games with the Celtics. Will that trend continue in the finals? Or will the animosity of the fan base fuel him to a revenge series?

We may not have gotten the Kristaps Porzingis revenge series against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Celtics will play another one of his former teams in the Finals. Porzingis was traded by the Knicks to the Mavericks during the 2019 season in a multi-team deal. He spent two and a half years in Dallas, where he made the playoffs twice but was often limited by injuries.

The real question is, will Porzingis himself get to face the Mavericks? He hasn't played since suffering a calf injury in Game 4 of the first round. There were reports he could have returned during the Eastern Conference Finals, but now all eyes turn to his availability for the Finals.

Having Porzingis could make a real difference for the Celtics. The Celtics are facing a dynamic scoring duo of Irving and Doncic, and will undoubtably have moments in the series where they need to simply keep pace in the offensive end. Porzingis' ability to make plays at the rim and with his back to the basket while also being a threat to stretch the floor changes the entire dynamic of the Celtics' offense, making him not just a factor himself but opening things up for other scorers.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.