Kyrie Irving Still Bitter About Former Celtics Coach Betraying Nets

The news details Kyrie Irving's recent comments regarding former coach Ime Udoka's role in the Boston Celtics' playoff victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Irving highlighted the existing bad blood stemming from his departure from the Celtics to the Nets in 2019, contradicting his stated desire to stay. This led to three subsequent playoff clashes: the Nets won the first-round series in 2021, but the Celtics won the first-round series in 2022 and defeated Irving's Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Irving specifically pointed to the coaching change in Boston as a critical factor in the Celtics' 2022 win. After the Celtics' 2021 playoff exit, Brad Stevens moved from head coach to president of basketball operations and hired Ime Udoka, who had been an assistant coach for the Nets the previous season. During a live stream, Irving expressed his strong belief that Udoka "snaked" the Nets by joining a division rival (the Celtics) and used his intimate knowledge of the Nets' strengths and weaknesses against them. Irving stated, "Ime Udoka literally went to the Boston Celtics after coaching with us... We’re in the same division. Can you imagine going against the coach that literally saw all of our strengths and weaknesses, and now we’re playing against him? So Boston was ready for us. Ime had them ready."

Under Udoka's guidance, the Celtics appeared more prepared for the 2022 rematch, sweeping the Nets in four closely contested games, all decided by seven points or less. The article notes that Brooklyn's midseason trade of James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, increasing the burden on Irving and Kevin Durant, also contributed to the outcome. Udoka subsequently led the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals (where they lost to the Warriors) before being fired for violating team policies. He is now the head coach of the Houston Rockets.