Boston is not particularly fond of Kyrie Irving and the recent booing in the Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks finals has been hard to ignore. The years that Irving spent with the Boston Celtics, from 2017 to 2019, continue to be a tense period in his career. But behind the jeers and criticism lies a deeply personal story that sheds light on why Irving’s time in Boston took a tumultuous turn.

After this backdrop, his trade to the Brooklyn Nets felt like a betrayal to Boston fans, considering that he had only months before made a public commitment to re-sign with the team. But Irving came on record to talk about the emotional turmoil that shaped his decisions at that time. Following these events, the following question arises.

Why did Kyrie Irving leave the Boston Celtics?

In an exclusive interview with FOX Sports, Irving disclosed that a tragic personal tragedy occurred nearly immediately after he committed to the Celtics in October 2018. “A week later, I lose my grandfather,” he shared. “That was one of the hardest points in my life just because I didn’t know how to move forward, not just with my career in Boston. But just my career in general.”

Kyrie has opened up about the impact of his grandfather’s passing in the past before. The event had a profound effect on the young player, who at the time, admitted to withdrawing himself from his peers and not knowing how to deal with his grief. His emotional distress eventually affected basketball. In an interview after the Nets trade, he said “After he passed, basketball was the last thing on my mind. A lot of basketball and the joy I had from it was sucked away from me.“

Irving was deeply affected by his grandfather’s passing. In addition to being an ardent fan who frequently brought huge crowds to see Irving perform in Portland. Also, Irving’s grandfather was instrumental in encouraging Irving’ to connect to his late mother’s native roots and her tribe (the Standing Rock Sioux Nation in North Dakota). As a pastor of a church with a large congregation and a beloved community figure, his grandfather’s death left a void that Irving struggled to fill.

The player was going through immense turmoil at that time. The grief caused him to withdraw emotionally, not just from basketball but also from his teammates. These ongoings eventually force him to leave Boston.

The unfortunate story behind Kyrie Irving’s Brooklyn Nets move

“When I lost him as the guiding light in the physical world, basketball was the last thing I was thinking about,” said Kyrie. Despite his stellar on-court performance, he was struggling off-court. Regardless, Irving was averaging 23.8 points, 6.9 assists, and 5 rebounds but his leadership was under question. Even with the high expectations, the Celtics struggled in playoffs.

Irving’s decision to leave Boston was highly influenced by his need to be with family. “I don’t think a lot of people cared about how I was doing as a human being,“ he said. “I’m in Boston. I had just committed back to them. And now, the only thing I’m really thinking about is being there for my family, which is why I went back to Brooklyn.” Even after agreeing to sign an extension, the player could not bring himself to stay.

By moving back to New York, he was able to spend his time with the people he cared about. Despite wanting to stay in Boston and showing up for his teammates, Kyrie had to make the tough call. He admitted, “I took on the burden of being a man of my family, going back to New York.“

After rumors and speculations about Kyrie Irving’s infamous exit from Boston, an unfortunate story like this one was unexpected. While the wounds from the past remain fresh, the player can only hope that the future holds amends. So far, the Boston crowd has not been very forgiving.

Before leaving, make sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about WNBA star rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.