Boston Celtics Legend Bob Cousy On Kyrie Irving: "No Longer In The Superstar Category"

Anthony Pasciolla | Jun 14, 2024

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts after a play against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter during game three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy did not hold back when speaking on the shortcomings of the Dallas Mavericks, especially guard Kyrie Irving.

Irving is known to thrive when the lights shine brightest, but a disappointing start to the NBA Finals caught the attention of Cousy. He spoke with the Boston Globe to explain why the Celtics exposed his flaws, dragging him out of the superstar category.

“The Celtics have exposed Kyrie Irving as not quite a superstar," Cousy said. "He has been severely subdued. They’re not even trapping him a lot. They’re doing it one-on-one. Kyrie’s working his ass off and they’re still stopping most of his stuff. He’s no longer in the superstar category. You’ve got to function in the playoffs to determine where you are in the hierarchy.”

Although Irving bounced back with an impressive 35-point outing in Game 3, he shot just 35.1 percent on 37 attempts in the first two games of the series. If the Mavs are able to avoid a sweep on Friday evening, losing the Finals will only put a slight dent in his legacy. They are the second team in league history to reach the Finals as a No. 5 seed, the first being the 2020 Miami Heat.

The Celtics are just a single victory away from Cousy seeing his beloved organization hang up their 18th championship banner, which would allow them to pass the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in NBA history.

Anthony Pasciolla is a contributing writer for Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or followed on X @anthonypasci.