The 2018-19 NBA season didn’t go as the Boston Celtics expected as Kyrie Irving had a hard time building good chemistry with the young players – Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier – that led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Whenever the Celtics struggle, Irving has been criticizing the performances of his teammates, and there were instances when Boston’s young players retaliated with his harsh comments.
Despite the things that happened to them in the ongoing 2018-19 NBA season, Kyrie Irving still envisioned himself playing with his young teammates in the next couple of years, specifically Jayson Tatum. In a recent appearance on Knuckleheads (transcribed by HoopsHype ), Irving admitted having a different relationship with all of his teammates, and he revealed that he considered his bond with Tatum as “special.”
“I see the same thing in what me and [Tatum] talk about now. We’re six years apart. And I try to tell him, I’m like, look: ‘I’m a liason between all of this… Whatever you need me to do. I’ll get out your way once you get to that point [of greatness]. You go ahead. This is yours. You want it? Go take it.’ And I tell J as well: ‘Me and you in this, going for the guts and glory. When it’s all on the line? I know I need you right next to me. So let’s get this thing going.’”
Kyrie Irving reaches scoring mark no other Celtic has since 2006 https://t.co/tXQMVjqJLW
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 24, 2019
Like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in Los Angeles and he and LeBron James in Cleveland, Kyrie Irving strongly believes that he and Jayson Tatum could become one of the greatest duos in the league and win an NBA championship title together. Irving’s recent statements about Tatum is definitely a good thing to hear for Celtics’ fans, but the All-Star point guard’s future in Boston remains uncertain, especially knowing that he is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Before the 2018-19 NBA season started, Kyrie Irving committed to sign a long-term contract with the Celtics in the 2019 NBA free agency. However, after the Celtics have gone through ups and downs, Irving has a change of heart and already wants to keep all his options open in the 2019 NBA offseason. Even if the Celtics succeed to bring him back, it still remains a big question mark if Irving and Jayson Tatum will play together in Boston next season.
When the season is over, Celtics President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ainge is expected to engage in a trade negotiation with the New Orleans Pelicans involving Anthony Davis. Ainge hasn’t given any specific trade package, but the Celtics will likely need to use Jayson Tatum as the main trade chip to convince the Pelicans to make a deal.
