But just over a year later, with the goal of getting out of James’s shadow, Irving forced his way out of Cleveland. The Cavaliers acquiesced to his request for a trade and he ended up in Boston, where the Celtics were coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference finals and appeared primed for championship contention with Irving in the fold.
The Celtics advanced to the conference finals in 2018, but they did so without Irving, who missed the playoffs because of an injury. His time in Boston then began to crumble last season as his teammates and coaches bore witness to his many sides: the ups and the moody downs, his on-court wizardry too often offset by an inability (or perhaps an unwillingness) to lead younger teammates.
He put up terrific numbers last season, averaging 23.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. But the Celtics lacked chemistry, and Irving struggled in nine playoff games, averaging 21.3 points while shooting just 38.5 percent from the field. In the middle of an abysmal series against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Irving looked and sounded as obstinate as ever, freezing out his teammates in blowout losses before professing his greatness in news conferences.
“Who cares?” he said when he was asked about his poor shooting. “I’m a basketball player.”
A few days later, in a 25-point loss to the Bucks that closed out the Celtics’ season, Irving shot just 6 of 21 from the field. Months after pledging his loyalty to the Celtics at a fan event — “If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here next summer,” he said at the time — he was ready to move on, again.
The Nets, of course, are willing to bet on the Kyrie Experience, in large part because of his enormous talent. He is a top-flight player, and for a franchise that has been eager to gain more of a foothold in the New York market since moving to Brooklyn in 2012, the addition of Irving is a huge boost.
It remains to be seen, though, how Irving will mesh with a new team. He is not a simple man — an athlete who has said that he loathes the spotlight, even as he continues to moonlight as an actor in films and as a well-compensated pitchman for sneakers and soft drinks.
Now, he is bound for the Nets and his next role. The show goes on.
