How the ghosts of LeBron James and the Boston Celtics drive the Kyrie-Luka duo

LONG BEFORE THESE Mavericks were anybody's pick to come out of the Western Conference, before they vanquished the Clippers and the Thunder and the Timberwolves to ascend to basketball's brightest stage for the first time in 13 years, Kyrie Irving had begun to reflect on his three-year tenure with LeBron James, his stint with the Boston Celtics and how those times had changed him. All season he had been careful not to create distractions for himself or the Mavericks by revisiting his controversial past. Because as much as Irving's time in Dallas has offered him a fresh start, it's also been filled with mirrors to reflect upon his career.