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KYRIE IRVING MAY be shipping out of Boston after all.
Just three months ago, Irving assured Celtics season ticket holders that he wanted to remain in Boston despite rumours that he would pack up for a different city when he reaches free agency during the summer. But now it’s looking more and more like the six-time All-Star will be looking for a new team come June.
When asked about his future in Boston Friday, Irving seemed to pivot from his previous stance.
“At the end of the day I’m going to do what’s best for me and my career,” Irving told Newsday’s Barbara Barker. “I don’t owe anyone shit.”
And when The Athletic’s Jay King asked about whether his mindset has changed, Irving responded: “Ask me 1 July.”
Irving’s comments come less than 24 hours after the New York Knicks engaged in a blockbuster trade, dealing 7-foot-3 “unicorn” Kristaps Porzingis along with the massive contracts of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., two future first-round picks, and a handful of expiring contracts. The deal allowed the Knicks to free up enough cap space to extend two max contracts this summer, right in time for Irving’s free agency.
When asked about what he thought of the trade, the West Orange, New Jersey, native seemed optimistic about his hometown team.
“I respect the Knicks organization,” Irving said. “Obviously, they are making moves to position themselves for this upcoming summer. So I wish them the best.”
Both Irving and Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant have been linked to New York, and both players will be on the market this summer. While trading Porzingis has left the Knicks with very little to offer a marquee free agent, a dual-pitch to Irving and Durant to play together at Madison Square Garden could be enough to lure them to the Big Apple.
Currently, New York is in a tight race for the bottom of the NBA standings. The franchise is in the running to land one of the top picks in the 2019 NBA Draft which features enticing prospects such as Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. Landing one of Duke’s superstars would undoubtedly pad their pitch to big-name free agents this summer.
The Celtics, meanwhile, are looking to make a playoff run this spring despite the turbulence surrounding the team this season. If Boston can put the pieces together and make an impact this postseason, Irving may very well follow through on his October promise.
If not, expect New York to be on his shortlist.
Simon Zebo joins Gavan and Murray for a special live recording of the podcast in Dublin’s Liberty Hall Theatre to preview Ireland’s Six Nations opener against England:
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That is a huge shame. I think anyone with an interest in Irish boxing would have thought he was one of our hopes for an Olympic medal.
Unfortunately if there is a hint of corruption it’s nothing new in boxing. It can have predetermined outcomes as bad as wwe sometimes.
Agreed, he demolished Kenny Egan a few months ago and we had high hopes for him, he still very young though and the lad will come good .
There was always a danger of this.
We saw what happened in Beijing with K Egan against the Chinese opponent. If the UEFA boys are taking backhanders the boxing boys are certainly taking them. Fighting a Turkish fighter in Turkey was always going to be a massive ask as a result. It’s a real pity but he’s young enough to come back for the next Olympics.
Boxing is becoming a farce though with the blatant fixing of fights.
Corruption is so widespread in Turkish sport it even has it’s own Wikipedia entry http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Turkish_sports_corruption_scandal#section_1 And there are few “sports” as corrupt as boxing, there have been numerous examples in the past year alone. So whoever thought it a good idea to hold a boxing tournament in Turkey must’ve been a little on the slow side.
Im betting the judges were Turks as well knowing the ebu
The referee was from Kazakhstan, and the ringside judges from the Philippines, China, Italy, Algeria and Croatia.
Gutted…! Chin up Ward, long career ahead of you yet!
He’s used to hearing chin down :)
Boxing scoring is becoming like Eurovision voting.
And I made a spelling mistake great :O Your’s* don’t I look silly :L
Katie Taylor has one final chance to qualify for the Olympics but its in china probably against a Chinese girl so don’t rule out two of our best medal chances not even being at the games.
Cheers Niall :) and the mighty Joe will be back he’ll put every man he meets on the canvas from now on! That’ll leave no doubt about it!
Off the boxing topic, but it is incredibly annoying when you put some quotes in blue boxes and others not. Make up your mind! Plus if you use quotation marks they go at the beginning and end of a quote. You’re sincerely a stressed out leaving cert English student who struggles to correct all his own grammar etc. as well as the Journal’s! :) rant over.
Thanks Rob, nice to get some feedback on the quote boxes. Didn’t realise they were so off-putting.
As for the quotation marks — if the quote in question continues on over a few paragraphs, it’s accepted style not to use the close marks at the end of every paragraph, just at the end of the entire quote. Although I wouldn’t start doing that for the Leaving Cert, it’ll probably just stress you out even more!
Good luck with the exams.
Yeah@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get a life
Any word on how the protest went?
Gutted for Ward, such a talent.