I HATE this. Let's not punish our stars for being real.

[tazzmaniac]

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer? 

Because he came out and lied earlier in the season and said he was staying.

That's so ridiculous.  I don't care about what he said in some fan event.  Prior to that, all we were hearing about was Kyrie to the Knicks Kyrie to the Knicks Kyrie to the Knicks.  There were literally people saying, "even if he does intend to go to the Knicks can he please at least just come out and say he intends to stay so it will not hover over this entire season?"

So he does exactly that... he said in front of an audience "I plan on re-signing here"... and now people are acting like it's some unbreakable bond.  I didn't think anything of it then and I don't think anything of it now.  Yes, at the time he probably planned on re-signing here.  He probably still plans on re-signing here.   I have no reason to believe he's "planning" on leaving.  The plan is to stay... but who knows what his plan will be once the Summer comes.

Would you have preferred he said at that fan event, "Hey guys, I'm totally leaning towards staying here, but I can't predict how I'll feel next Summer and whether or not staying is the best career decision, but right now I like it here and my current planning as I approach this season from both a team and Nike standpoint is built around the idea of being the face of the Boston Celtics for the long-term... in fact, I even have a commercial planned with my dad built around the concept... my entire team of handlers right now has our eyes towards staying... but who knows how things might change long-term, so don't hold me to it"?... Cuz that's basically what he's been saying over and over and over and over again, but it doesn't sink in.  Instead, it just gets spinned into "OMG KYRIE TO THE KNIXXX!!!!"

Bottom line - whether or not he made that comment at the fan event, you're still going to be burning jerseys if he leaves.  I'm not going to act like this kid broke my heart, because he made some wishywashy declaration of wanting to stay in Boston.  We are the frontrunner to sign him.  A lot can happen.  It all really depends on how the rest of this year plays out and what his options are in the Summer.  For the time being, he's literally the only all-star on this team and we're in the mix to make the conference Finals in large part, because of his play... so let's hope he sticks around.

Sorry, that was too long. I couldn't get through all of that.

I would have been fine with him saying in the summer what he said today. Honest talk.

Then say he isn't talking about it for the rest of the season. Refuse any and all questions. Just say "no comment". Because he wants to "concentrate on this season".

He said "I plan on staying".

We know this to be true... he wouldn't have green-lit a Nike commercial with his dad talking about what an honor it is to play in Boston if everyone in Kyrie's camp wasn't planning around the idea of Kyrie staying. 

That said, plans can change.  And while I still think Kyrie probably "plans" to stay here the dude is just being honest that anything can happen in this business.  Kudos to him for being real.  He's being pestered about this daily and instead of sugar-coating it he says the truth which is that Boston is the frontrunner, he believes in the team and the future of the team, yes he's still probably "planning" on staying...  but that at the end of the day he's going to make a decision that's best for his career.

He didn't lie then and he's not lying now.

Is there video of what he said originally?  If he just said "plan" that's definitely not a 100% commitment. 

[playdream]

There are people who understand and who don't, those who don't will never do, it is what it is. sadly our fanbase has become viral

[playdream]

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer? 

Because he came out and lied earlier in the season and said he was staying.

If they didn't mean it, he should have just kept his mouth shut then. Which in turn would have meant nobody would have reacted badly to what he said today.

So why shouldn't people be annoyed? I don't get that.

I am surprised some folks are as annoyed as they are but they are entitled to be upset.

He said he "plan to" stay not "will" stay, you are the one that twist his comment like the media then hate on it

[mctyson]

Look, when Davis announced his trade request my immediate reaction was to say "I feel like this ruins the season".  I just felt like the type of distraction it was going to cause was going to infest our fan community and our locker-room and distract from the fact Boston has actually been playing pretty darn well as of late (just had our best month of the season) and still stand a reasonable chance of making the Finals.  But instead, here we are bickering and whining about Lakers vs Celtics trade packages, whether Jayson Tatum should be sacrificed, and Kyrie Irving's future.

The heck with this.

First of all, recognize the Rich Paul of it all. 

On Davis: They have every incentive to say Lakers or bust, because it's in his best interest to get out of New Orleans as soon as possible (THIS WEEK).  Boston isn't in the mix right now so any way they can get Boston to concede, the better.  The more hysteria and drama they create, the more they hope the Pelicans react by saying "forget it, we don't want this drama for the next several months" and ship him out right now.  If I'm Davis, I'd far prefer to go to the Lakers right now than staying on the Pelicans.  That's a no-brainer.  Boston will be in the mix if we get to the Summer.

On Kyrie to the Knicks:  It's clear there is no real basis for any of this other than Rich Paul leaking comments to his media people try to stir the pot.  This is a storyline being pushed by the media - not Kyrie himself.

Could Kyrie leave?:  Of course. I've never doubted that.  Even when he said he was planning on staying, my reaction was "no doubt he has Boston as the frontrunner right now, but let's see how he feels in the Summer".  What if Boston underachieved?  What if his key star sidekicks had career ending injuries?  What if Boston got eliminated in the 1st round... and we made it to the Summer and Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler are somehow signed to a team with a 3rd max cap slot and they are asking Kyrie to come ball?  Forget about "Knicks" for a second.  I'm talking ANY team.  It can be Orlando for all I care.  If presented with those choices, who knows what Kyrie might do.  That was my point then and that's my point now.  There was never any basis that he preferred leaving the Celtics.  It's just that you can't predict what the NBA landscape will look like months from now.

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer?  Why would he?  He didn't choose to be traded to the Celtics.  Yeah, if he were making a decision right now he probably stays with Boston, but the dude is being real when he admits it's not a decision he can make right now.  Not only is it going to depend on what Boston offers financially, but it's going to depend on the makeup of the team, who he is playing with, and the overall direction of the franchise.  You should like our chances.  But listen to the actual interview and it's clear this dude is so outrageously annoyed by everything going on this week.

-  Gonna focus on what's best for his career, but right now he's focused on this season:  No crap.  I can't blame him.  It's going to be a tough choice, but it's not something worth him worrying about right now.  Boston is trying to compete RIGHT NOW.  That's his focus. 

- "Ask me about it July 1st" - This dude is clearly fed up with being asked about this stuff.  I would too.  You know, when he made his offseason declaration he was staying it came after everyone was begging him to do it. "Come on Kyrie, just say you're staying just to shut up the noise".  So then he does exactly that and now people are holding it over his head like he wrote down a promise in blood.  Leave the guy alone.  Stop asking him about something he literally can't make a decision on yet.

- "I respect the Knicks org"... He was asked about the Zinger trade.  By the way, listen to his tone... he's so clearly annoyed he even has to answer this question.  In regards to zinger he says he respects the knicks are making moves and "best of luck to them"... We're playing the Knicks tonight... this was about as cookie-cutter a response as it can get.  What's he supposed to say?... "F New York!"... get real.  Just a cookie-cutter soundbite ahead of tonight's match-up against them.

- "This is dumb sh*t" - He goes on to complain that all of this nonsense/media hysteria/etc is just entertainment and "dumb sh*t".  He's clearly annoyed that his name is in the mix of these rumors (the Rich Paul of it all).  Again, he sounds like he doesn't even want to talk about this crap and I don't blame him.

- "Gonna do my job and see what happens"... yup, just reiterating the same thing.  It's a long season.  His focus is on the present... as it should be.  Don't punish him for not having a crystal ball and being able to see into the future.

- "I don't owe anybody sh*t" - I agree with him.  He's talking about how in the past he made career decisions for others, but he doesn't owe anyone anything.  This isn't directed at the Celtics.  If anything, you could spin this into being directed at Kevin Durant and the Knicks.  He's just being honest.  He doesn't owe anyone anything - and I agree. 

- "I STILL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN BOSTON AND WHAT THEY CAN OFFER FOR THE FUTURE" - Bolding this one, because he goes on to reiterate the same thing I said over the Summer.  If he were making his decision right now, Boston would probably be an easy choice.  There's a lot to love here.  They have a lot of things they can pull off.  Yeah, he can't predict the future, but as of right now he has confidence in Boston.  This is a positive thing.  Embrace it.

- "BOSTON IS STILL AT THE HEAD OF THE RACE" - Bolding this one too, because he flat out says at present Boston is the frontrunner to sign him.  He threw ya'll a bone.  So maybe get off his back about a decision he literally can't make until Summer.

- "It's a distraction.  Trying to avoid it" - Yup.  All of this nonsense is a distraction.  This is what I was worried about when I said the Davis trade request could ruin the season.  Hopefully our guys can tune this out.

- "Storylines can seep into the lockerroom - you guys are part of the destruction of lockerrooms" - I got downvoted on reddit for saying I worried about how this Davis trade would infest our locker-room.  Well now you have Kyrie himself admitting that yes - this media hysteria can in-fact destroy lockerrooms.  And by taking this stuff out of context on twitter/reddit people are contributing to the mounting frustration players like Kyrie, Tatum, and Brown are probably currently feeling when what we want them to do is lock in and kick butt for the Celtics this season.

- "Doesn't like talking about his life".  He goes on to talk about how this is all entertainment and while he respects it, he doesn't want to have to do this part.  He doesn't want to be asked about his future every day.  Why would he?  He literally can't make a decision yet.

Seriously, nothing he said is outlandish.  Nothing he said screams "i'm leaving Boston".  The dude is being honest.  His career decision is going to be very contingent on how the remainder of this season plays out and what Boston can offer him.  We have a TON of options on how we can take this franchise.  Come Summer, Ainge will be able to sit down with Kyrie and be transparent about how we're going to take the team heading forward.  Does Kyrie want to stick around with Tatum and Brown?  Ok.  Does he want us to trade for Davis?  Alright.  Does he want us to try and convince Durant to come here in a sign-and-trade (something Jackie Mac and Windhorst brought up as a possibility a month ago)... sure.    Boston has incredible flexibility and we no doubt will be the frontrunner to keep Kyrie.  At the same time, who knows what's going to happen over the next few months.  I reject the idea that there's some "secret conspiracy" and Durant/Kyrie already have plans to join the Knicks together, but I do acknowledge that if Boston has a complete lockerroom meltdown and another team presents a more logical career path for Kyrie, he'll probably take it.  Let's make sure we're not contributing to the lockerroom destruction by spreading out of context nonsense.

TL;DR:  LEAVE KYRIE ALONE

Agree fully.

Watched the video...dude HATES the media right now.

[LarBrd33]

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer? 

Because he came out and lied earlier in the season and said he was staying.

That's so ridiculous.  I don't care about what he said in some fan event.  Prior to that, all we were hearing about was Kyrie to the Knicks Kyrie to the Knicks Kyrie to the Knicks.  There were literally people saying, "even if he does intend to go to the Knicks can he please at least just come out and say he intends to stay so it will not hover over this entire season?"

So he does exactly that... he said in front of an audience "I plan on re-signing here"... and now people are acting like it's some unbreakable bond.  I didn't think anything of it then and I don't think anything of it now.  Yes, at the time he probably planned on re-signing here.  He probably still plans on re-signing here.   I have no reason to believe he's "planning" on leaving.  The plan is to stay... but who knows what his plan will be once the Summer comes.

Would you have preferred he said at that fan event, "Hey guys, I'm totally leaning towards staying here, but I can't predict how I'll feel next Summer and whether or not staying is the best career decision, but right now I like it here and my current planning as I approach this season from both a team and Nike standpoint is built around the idea of being the face of the Boston Celtics for the long-term... in fact, I even have a commercial planned with my dad built around the concept... my entire team of handlers right now has our eyes towards staying... but who knows how things might change long-term, so don't hold me to it"?... Cuz that's basically what he's been saying over and over and over and over again, but it doesn't sink in.  Instead, it just gets spinned into "OMG KYRIE TO THE KNIXXX!!!!"

Bottom line - whether or not he made that comment at the fan event, you're still going to be burning jerseys if he leaves.  I'm not going to act like this kid broke my heart, because he made some wishywashy declaration of wanting to stay in Boston.  We are the frontrunner to sign him.  A lot can happen.  It all really depends on how the rest of this year plays out and what his options are in the Summer.  For the time being, he's literally the only all-star on this team and we're in the mix to make the conference Finals in large part, because of his play... so let's hope he sticks around.

Sorry, that was too long. I couldn't get through all of that.

I would have been fine with him saying in the summer what he said today. Honest talk.

Then say he isn't talking about it for the rest of the season. Refuse any and all questions. Just say "no comment". Because he wants to "concentrate on this season".

He said "I plan on staying".

We know this to be true... he wouldn't have green-lit a Nike commercial with his dad talking about what an honor it is to play in Boston if everyone in Kyrie's camp wasn't planning around the idea of Kyrie staying. 

That said, plans can change.  And while I still think Kyrie probably "plans" to stay here the dude is just being honest that anything can happen in this business.  Kudos to him for being real.  He's being pestered about this daily and instead of sugar-coating it he says the truth which is that Boston is the frontrunner, he believes in the team and the future of the team, yes he's still probably "planning" on staying...  but that at the end of the day he's going to make a decision that's best for his career.

He didn't lie then and he's not lying now.

Is there video of what he said originally?  If he just said "plan" that's definitely not a 100% commitment.

Sure.  It was a fan event.  He told an audience that "if you'll have me, I plan on re-signing"  https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1047985803677319170

And he probably still plans on re-signing. 

And look, maybe you can perceive that to be a promise or whatever, but the bottom line is that when asked in the Summer he said his plan was staying.  When asked about it today he said he still saw boston as the frontrunner... so he's obviously still planning on staying.

Now, if given a choice between joining with LeBron + Davis on the Lakers, joining with Durant + Butler on the Knicks, or staying with a hobbled Hayward, underachieving Tatum and 7th man Jaylen Brown - especially if Boston isn't willing to pay up the full maximum they can pay Kyrie... maybe his plans change.  And kudos to Kyrie for admitting that he's ultimately going to need to do what's best for his career.   He's just being honest.  They should give off his back. 

BOTTOM LINE:  KYRIE IRVING IS LESS OF A SITTING DUCK THAN TATUM, BROWN, TERRY, HAYWARD, AND HORFORD... any one of those guys could be gone next season and yet we're still rooting for them hard as Boston Celtics.  So let's root for Kyrie and stop trying to make him into a traitor for not making a definitive decision he literally can't make yet.

[rondofan1255]

kyrie podcast episode or bust

OP is spot on btw

[LarBrd33]

kyrie podcast episode or bust

OP is spot on btw

I'm almost dreading doing a podcast this week, because of the sheer amount of stuff that's happened in the last 4 days... but I plan on recording one tomorrow if the sky doesn't fall.

[RJ87]

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer? 

Because he came out and lied earlier in the season and said he was staying.

If they didn't mean it, he should have just kept his mouth shut then. Which in turn would have meant nobody would have reacted badly to what he said today.

So why shouldn't people be annoyed? I don't get that.

I am surprised some folks are as annoyed as they are but they are entitled to be upset.

Exactly

I was being facetious.

[Who]

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer? 

Because he came out and lied earlier in the season and said he was staying.

If they didn't mean it, he should have just kept his mouth shut then. Which in turn would have meant nobody would have reacted badly to what he said today.

So why shouldn't people be annoyed? I don't get that.

I am surprised some folks are as annoyed as they are but they are entitled to be upset.

Exactly

I was being facetious.

I know. The photo works both ways. Great find. TP.

[cltc5]

No one in the real world cares about the opinions on this board, is all that needs to be understood

[Boris Badenov]

Kyrie's been a lot more transparent than his GM has ever been.

If Danny got a good enough trade offer for Kyrie tomorrow, he'd be out of town on the next bus. We know this...otherwise we'd be stuck with a former All-Star point guard who might never play another game in the NBA.

[Who]

He said he "plan to" stay not "will" stay, you are the one that twist his comment like the media then hate on it

You might be right. Maybe I have it wrong.

I don't remember his exact words. I looked it up. You and LarBrd33 have it right - "plan to stay".

I took it as a commitment when he said it. He talked about it in the media more in the following days. He explained his decision. Why he was committing to Boston.

It wasn't just some spur of the moment thing. He made it into a big deal in the media. He talked about how it was an easy decision for him to make -- which to me (I interpreted as), decision made, this is final -- that you would make the same decision as me if you were in my shoes. That this team is perfect for him.

He had plenty of opportunities to correct the media if he felt he was being misrepresented. He never did that.

I took it as a commitment. I might be wrong. I am not sure I am though. I am not convinced his declaration was as little as some here are trying to make it sound now.

But I am more unsure than I was 30 minutes ago.

[RJ87]

- Kyrie's comments today: Make sure to watch the freakin video instead of reading out of context tweets.  Why are we punishing this guy for being open and honest about his career?  You want him to come out and lie and say he's a Boston lifer? 

Because he came out and lied earlier in the season and said he was staying.

If they didn't mean it, he should have just kept his mouth shut then. Which in turn would have meant nobody would have reacted badly to what he said today.

So why shouldn't people be annoyed? I don't get that.

I am surprised some folks are as annoyed as they are but they are entitled to be upset.

Exactly

I was being facetious.

I know. The photo works both ways. Great find. TP.

TP back at ya for keeping your humor.

[RJ87]

Kyrie's been a lot more transparent than his GM has ever been.

If Danny got a good enough trade offer for Kyrie tomorrow, he'd be out of town on the next bus. We know this...otherwise we'd be stuck with a former All-Star point guard who might never play another game in the NBA.

TP. Because even when Kyrie said he planned to stay, Danny was asked about it soon after and he was noncommittal.

That wasn't discussed 'round these parts though.

[nickagneta]

I think people forget that Kyrie waved a trade kicker that was worth more than $5.8 million to come to Boston. So basically, $5.8 million of Kyrie's money is invested in the Celtics. Seems like a lot of money to give up if you aren't seriously invested in remaining with the Celtics. I am sure he figured he would make it up by signing a 5 year max contract and not a 4 year deal.