Kyrie Irving: Pregame ritual had nothing to do with bad feelings in Boston originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
It's no secret that Kyrie Irving's time with the Boston Celtics in 2019 was filled with some interesting storylines that suggested he didn't get along with some of the players on the roster, as well as the coaching staff. However, after the Brooklyn Nets victory over Boston in Friday's preseason game, Irving embraced many of his former teammates and everything seemed to be fine.
Irving finished Friday's game with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in 28 minutes of play.
Irving, 28, spent one season with the Celtics where he averaged 23.8 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. He joined the Nets last offseason, alongside Kevin Durant, and so far the duo looks primed to make a lot of noise in the Eastern Conference.
And that whole thing where he burned sage inside TD Garden pregame? He said that wasn't just about any bad feelings he had about his time there - and he said he did it at Barclay's Center as well.
"Honestly I did it before the first preseason game in Barclays, so every game definitely cleansing the energy in here, make sure we feel good as a team," Irving told reporters (via our friends at NBC Sports Boston). "Don't want to disrespect any other team. Some people think I was doing some ritual stuff before the game, but no, that's just sage from my native culture. Just making sure we cleanse the energy in here and we play well. And I want everybody to stay safe, not just my teammates."
