“Kyrie Irving and I had our ups and downs, but that is the case with any team”: Jayson Tatum opens up about his relationship with the Nets star during his time with the Celtics

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum speaks out on his true thoughts about former teammate Kyrie Irving in a recent interview. 

Kyrie Irving has undoubtedly been one of the more controversial figures in the NBA for a long time now. Based on where your allegiances lie, you either adore his antics or absolutely despise his behavior.

One of the biggest, and potentially most erroneous opinions fans almost unanimously have of Kyrie Irving though, is that he is a bad teammate. And honestly, his cutthroat answers in interviews don’t help too much either.

Recently though, Jayson Tatum was asked about his relationship with the NBA champion. And his answer can completely change your perception of the former Celtics player.

Also Read: Stephen Curry opens up on his relationship with the Lakers star

“I enjoyed it”: Jayson Tatum on being teammates with Kyrie Irving 

Jayson Tatum has fast developed into one of the brightest young stars in the league today. Speaking with Fansided, this I what he had to say about his relationship with Kyrie Irving:

“I enjoyed it, my first two years in the league, being on the team with him… Obviously, we didn’t achieve the ultimate goal, but there was a lot of learning experiences.”

He continued on the matter.

“Somebody I’m still really close with today… obviously, a hell of a basketball player, a hell of a person. I mean, I enjoyed it. Obviously, there were ups and downs and things like that. But you know, I feel like that’s with any team you can say that about.”

this sequence from Jayson Tatum. holy hell. pic.twitter.com/oOCPCm45Sg

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 15, 2021

Also Read: Fenway Sports Group appoints Lakers star and his childhood friend as their first Black partners ever

In a time where just about everyone believes Irving is the worst teammate, Jayson Tatum provides us with a huge reason why we may have been mistaken in that view. At the end of the day, most teammates have had a similar opinion to Tatum, and still have a similar relationship with the player.

Perhaps it’s time we changed our perception of Kyrie Irving. The man may have some eccentricities, but he has shown that he has nothing but the best intentions for others in his heart through the years. One needs only to speak to his fellow pros in the NBA to glean information about this reality.