The Brooklyn Nets’ four-year deal offer to Kyrie Irving struck a knife in the hearts of Boston Celtics supporters. Irving became the number one public adversary in Boston the moment he broke a commitment to the fan base, which he had made known before the season that he intended to resign. When I attended the first game Irving was scheduled to play against the Celtics after he left, the mood was crazy since everyone was against him.
I wonder how different things would have been if Irving had resigned with the Celtics, now that we have been out of the situation for four years and both parties have evolved in separate directions. I believe it’s a significant what-if in C’s past that merits more investigation.
The Boston Celtics had a championship-caliber team that actually only lost due to bad chemistry and having too many players on the roster when Irving left for the Nets. Take a look at where the team was at that point. Danny Ainge would have taken the required actions to establish the proper chemistry between Irving and the Celtics if Irving had resigned.
Would Kyrie Irving and the Jays have allowed the Boston Celtics to win the championship?
I still believe Irving and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could have won a championship together, even though their combination did not work. They might have formed a dynasty if they had all gotten along and made sacrifices for the benefit of society.
Though it’s unfortunate that the Jays have never won a championship with Irving, the majority of Boston Celtics supporters are not lamenting his absence now that the team is a clear contender for the championship.
The other way the last four years may have gone is if Irving had stepped down, which would have left the Celtics without Tatum and Brown and in a similar situation to the Nets. In a perfect world, Irving might persuade Kevin Durant or Anthony Davis to join the Celtics, forcing the latter two to be cut by the Cs. The Celtics would have either failed miserably like the Nets did in this situation or won titles.
Without Irving, the Cs are in a wonderful position overall, but it’s reasonable to wonder what may have been.
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