Celtics All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving said he’s “in a great place” after undergoing season-ending knee surgery last month and that he has enjoyed watching the way Boston’s youngest players have stepped up to lead the team in his absence.
During an appearance on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, nfl authentic jerseys Irving offered high praise for the way the young Celtics have emerged on the postseason stage.
“We have a bunch of young guys on our team, but the way they are playing right now, they’re playing like experienced veterans,” Irving said. “I feel like, throughout the season, we’ve done a great job of helping one another, and now they’ve taken the team full-force and doing what they’re doing. So I’m just nothing but proud of them, as well as Brad Stevens and the coaching staff.”
The Celtics have leaned heavily on 20-year-old rookie Jayson Tatum, 21-year-old Jaylen Brown and 24-year-old Terry Rozier in the playoffs. After dispatching the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games in the opening round, the Celtics are up 1-0 over the Philadelphia 76ers in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Irving has been around the team for parts of the postseason and enjoys trying to pass along knowledge to the younger players.
“I’m not so much separated in age; I’m more separated in my years of experience,” Irving, 26, said. “I try to offer a lot of knowledge from my unique opportunities of being in Cleveland and learning a lot of things, then coming to Boston and being with these young guys that just have a thirst for knowledge.
“They want to be great. It’s easy to help individuals like that. They’re in the gym every single day, they’re dedicated to film work, making sure they take care of the bodies, and, also, I think that the strongest trait about them is that they all want to learn. I’m just happy to be part of their journey.nfl authentic jerseys cheap I just want to see them be great.”
Irving, who underwent surgery to remove two screws from his left patella on April 7, admitted it was tough to shut down for the season, especially on the cusp of the playoffs. But he’s at peace with his decision.
