Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum told reporters that he has “great memories” of his time playing with Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, his former Boston teammate for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
“It feels like it was a long time ago but I have a lot of great memories of having Ky as a teammate,” Tatum said, per Jay King of The Athletic.
Tatum and Irving will now face each other in the NBA Finals, which begin on Thursday in Boston.
Tatum may have great memories playing with Irving, but the latter player’s time in Boston is not looked upon fondly by Celtics fans.
Of note, Irving told fans before the 2018-19 season that he was committed to Boston and would re-sign with the organization after the campaign, when he would be a free agent.
“If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here,” Irving said.
That did not happen. Irving notably told reporters “I don’t owe anybody s–t” when asked about his future, adding “ask me July 1st,” referencing the start of free agency.
He ended up leaving for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.
Irving played well in Boston, making the All-Star team twice and averaging 24.1 points, 6.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds over his two seasons.
Unfortunately, a knee injury kept him out of the 2018 playoffs, when the Celtics came one win away from reaching the NBA Finals with Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way.
The 2018-19 team disappointed, going 49-33 and losing in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Ultimately, the Celtics and Irving are doing very well these days. Tatum and Brown have taken leadership of the C’s, who won 64 regular-season games before cruising to a 12-2 playoff record. Irving found his way to the Mavs, where he’s blossomed in a backcourt partnership with Luka Dončić.
Now Tatum and Irving will reunite in the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday in Boston.
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