Marcus Smart on the notion that Kyrie Irving's leadership killed the Celtics: 'That's bulls---'
The Boston Celtics’ postseason elimination has put the spotlight on guard Kyrie Irving. The increased attention on Irving isn’t exactly undeserved, as Irving made some confident statements as the team was melting down.
What is undeserved, however, is the narrative that Irving’s leadership was the reason for the team’s downfall. Celtics guard Marcus Smart had some strong words about that notion.
Marcus Smart on the notion that Kyrie Irving’s leadership ruined the Celtics: “Bullshit. That’s bullshit.” pic.twitter.com/xWPKIxp2Bw
— Nicole Yang (@nicolecyang) May 9, 2019
Smart said it was “bulls---” that Irving’s leadership is being blamed for the team’s struggles. As Smart explains, Irving came into a tough situation where he was trying to fit in on a team that had already experienced success. Smart praised Irving for not wanting to disrupt that.
Ultimately, Smart puts the blame on everyone associated with the Celtics.
“It’s four other guys out there, it’s 12, 13 other guys on the team, coaches and everything, so to just blame it on one guy is bulls---.”
Despite Smart’s plea, Irving will still continue to take heat. He asked out of Cleveland so he could lead a team. During the season, Irving came under fire for calling out teammates. With the season on the line, Irving fell into a horrible slump.
If there’s a silver lining, Smart and the other Celtics won’t have to answer these questions much longer. Irving is expected to leave the team in the offseason, giving everyone involved in this fiasco a much-needed fresh start next season.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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