Kyrie Irving had his introductory press conference with the Boston Celtics today, with Gordon Hayward and a few others also in attendance. Irving was the main draw, since he was the one who wanted the trade request, but the Celtics also brought out Gordon Hayward for the first time alongside a freshly-shaven Irving. It's those two who are now the present and future of the Celtics.
Not everything said at the press conference is listed below (although the press conference is embedded at the end). Some of the ramblings and comments from others are cut out. With that in mind, here are the highlights from the Kyrie Irving press conference.
Kyrie Irving On If He Has Spoken To LeBron Since His Trade Request:
“No. I haven’t spoken to him. My intent, like I said, was for my best intentions and to look back at the amount of ground we covered in the last three-year span or even before that because we had a prior relationship, and to really realize how special that was and how much growth happened. I’ve had the unique opportunity to play with one of the greats, and it was awesome. At times it was all over just like it was with any other team. When you look back and you’re eternally grateful for the moments that you’ve had and you’ve shared, you’re able to put peace with that journey and start anew. This was a very, very challenging decision at first. But after a while when you understand and you have that confidence in yourself to understand the magnitude of what you can accomplish and what you can potentially do with other great people, and now that I’m sitting there it just echoes with being very appreciative [for Cleveland and LeBron].”
Irving On Boston:
Getting an opportunity to be a part of such an illustrious organization as the Boston Celtics … I grew up watching so many films. I asked Danny if I could get a few of his VHS tapes from his championship runs. When you have the unique opportunity of having special people and being a part of an organization like this … I’m grateful. I can’t wait to get on the floor to maximize my potential. I just want to be with those incredible coaches and incredible minds, and I felt like in doing that, Boston came right at the exact time and it was meant to be that way. I trust in that, and I’m glad to be here."
Irving On Why He Wanted Out Of Cleveland:
"It was my time to do what was best for me in terms of my intentions and that’s going after something bigger than myself and being in an environment that was conducive to my potential. That statement is self-explanatory because it’s pretty direct in terms of what my intent is, and that’s to be happy and with a group of individuals that I can grow with. That is not a knock on anything that has transpired in my six years (with Cleveland) because it was an unbelievable experience. … Me leaving there wasn’t about basketball. It was more or less about creating that foundation with me in Cleveland and now taking that next steps as a 25-year-old evolving man and being the best basketball player I can be. It was an unbelievable journey and an unbelievable ride, but I knew that I wasn’t going to come up here to specifically point at individuals, specifically point at issues, because that’s not important to me at all."
“The people that are here at this organization, the people that they have, Coach Stevens, I think I’ve kind of scratched the surface of what I can become,” Hayward said. “And I think being here with the city and the fans, it’s really exciting to be here.”
Gordon Hayward On Isaiah Thomas:
"I.T. did a tremendous job as far as helping recruit me here to Boston. He was somebody that I was definitely excited about playing with. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t the truth. But I’ve been in this business long enough to know that it is a business. Things can happen, things can change."
Irving On Carrying A Team:
"Is there ever such thing as one person carrying a whole team? I don’t think so. There are a lot of moving parts and you have to depend on those moving parts to do their job at the ultimate ability. It’s our job to bring the best out of one another every single day. … There’s no such thing as putting a team on your shoulders."
Hayward On Brad Stevens:
"In college your college coach is somewhat more like a father figure. You’re younger, you lean on them a lot, and now I’m a father and I have two little girls of my own. I always say that Coach Stevens was the first person — I always had a dream to play in the NBA, but he was the first person to tell me that I could get there some day."
Hayward On Irving:
"I think the first thing is like destiny. We both have March 23 birthdays so it was bound to happen at some point in time. [In 2013] I actually went to Cleveland on a visit when I was a restricted free agent, and Kyrie came in and said how much fun it would be if I was on the team and kind of recruited me to go there. Then LeBron came and then kind of squashed that whole thing. It came full circle and here we are now. I've been in this business long enough to realize it is a business," Hayward said. "Things happen, things can change. I go from an opportunity playing with (Isaiah Thomas) and the rest of the guys to now playing with Kyrie Irving, who's one of the best basketball players in the league, and another great opportunity for me."
Irving On Hayward:
"It's about to be crazy, G. This is a bad dude to the left of me,” Irving said of Hayward. “He’s a bad dude.”
Finally, if you wanted to watch the whole press conference, we've embedded it below.
