BOSTON — In retrospect, Kyrie Irving said he should have bowed to the banner and the leprechaun.
Now he’s the opponent who will need a miracle to stop the Celtics from winning their 18th championship.
“You have to be respectful here. I think that was a struggle at first, trying to figure out how to be great here while winning here and leading this team and selflessly joining the Celtics organization, or the cult that is here,” Irving said ahead of Monday’s Game 5 against the Mavericks, who are trailing 3-1 in the series. “That’s what’s expected of you as a player. You’re expected to seamlessly embrace the Celtics pride and believe in what the Celtics are all about. If you don’t, you’ll be kicked out.”
“I’m one of those people who’s been left out.”
“Ostracized” is an understatement for Irving, who has become something of a demon for Celtics fans since leaving the team as a free agent in 2019.
More recently, Irving acknowledged he struggled to navigate his two-season tenure while dealing with personal issues, specifically the death of his grandfather.
But there wasn’t much forgiveness from Celtics fans.
Since joining the Nets, he has been booed every time he appears inside TD Garden, and the Nets’ revenge is a record.
Irving’s team had lost 13 straight games to the Celtics before Dallas won Game 4 to avoid a losing streak in the NBA Finals.
He hasn’t won at TD Garden in more than three years.
The first two games of the NBA Finals (both in Boston) were disastrous for Irving, shooting 35 percent from the field and averaging just 14 points.
This strengthened the belief that Irving was crumbling under the intense criticism. He performed much better in Dallas, averaging 28 points in two games.
“I mean, I’ll just put it like it is,” Irving said. “When the fans are cheering, ‘Kyrie’s no good,’ they feel like they have a psychological advantage, and rightly so. Of course, if I don’t make a shot or I don’t turn the ball over, that becomes even more of a pressing issue and they’re going to keep blaming me.”
From Boston’s perspective, winning a title at home against Irving would feel like karma, a final and most significant victory over the player who rejected the Celtics and once stepped on a leprechaun logo at center court.
It would also end the Celtics’ 16-year championship drought and tie the record with the Lakers, giving the franchise a record-breaking 18th championship.
Despite Boston’s 38-point loss in Game 4 on Friday, they have a very good chance of popping the champagne with a win on Monday.
The Celtics haven’t lost at home since May 9.
“This is something we’re all striving for,” said Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, the front-runner for NBA Finals MVP. “We’re just trying to accomplish what we set out to do at the beginning of the season.”
“So I don’t think it’s hard to get everybody in the locker room on the same page right now. We just need to remind everybody that it’s just one possession at a time. We’re going to do it together and fight like our lives depend on it, and then I think we’ll be OK.”
It’s certainly possible to win a championship in Boston on the same night and eliminate Irving.
It’s a Celtics fan’s dream — or the next step in their nightmare if the Mavericks somehow win their next three games.
“It’s going to be a special game,” Celtics center Al Horford said. “It’s going to be a special game. [Monday]”It’s going to be exciting. The fans wanted to be a part of this big opportunity and game we have in front of us.”
