During Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals, Kyrie Irving made a point of giving the Boston Celtics flowers.

 

During a stoppage in play with 2:37 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Celtics leading 106-85, cameras trailed Irving approaching a few of Boston players to congratulate them on a job well done, despite the fact that the game had not yet officially ended. Irving first approached star guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, each of whom he spoke with briefly.

 

The Dallas Mavericks star then went over to the sideline and congratulated Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell and star forward Kristaps Porzingis, while also thanking the whole of Boston’s bench. Finally, Irving offered head coach Joe Mazzulla a short embrace before returning to his bench for the final time to resume his seat, signalling the end of his night.

Irving sent a statement on his X account shortly after the game finished, thanking fans for their support this season. “Tribe, stay together no matter what,” he started his statement.

“Through the ups and downs, wins and losses, success and failure. Keep your head up high. This mission is bigger than us. I love you all!” Irving was also spotted dapping up every single Mavericks player as they headed into the locker room, being the last one to leave the floor.

Irving’s actions are in line with how he is approaching his return to Boston after a less-than-stellar exit. One of Celtics fans’ final memories of Irving before the 2024 Finals was the star guard flipping off fans in the stands while playing for the Brooklyn Nets. Irving has since revealed that his actions were not indicative of who he was as a person and apologized for his actions during that fateful series.

Kyrie Irving made sure to acknowledge the Boston Celtics staff for their win ( Image: ABC)

“But I will say last time in Boston, I don’t that was the best – not this regular season, but when we played in the playoffs and everyone saw me flip off the birds and kind of losing my —- a little bit – that wasn’t a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete on a high level,” he said before the series began, via ESPN.

“It wasn’t a great reflection on my end towards the next generation on what it means to control your emotions in that type of environment, no matter what people are yelling at you.”

Despite Irving’s attempts to make atonement, Boston supporters were still reflecting on how the star had departed the Celtics. Throughout the series, whenever Irving got the ball, supporters would jeer him and call him names in an attempt to distract him from his game.

Whatever the case, Irving struggled immensely while playing in Boston. Irving averaged 14.3 points in the five-game series, shooting 34 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from three, for a true shooting percentage of 39.3 percent.

Meanwhile, it appeared that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were unstoppable throughout the series. Tatum averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.

Brown, on the other hand, averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the NBA Finals, earning MVP honours. The two players also helped the Celtics win their 18th NBA championship, which is the most in league history.