Kyrie Irving talks about 'failure of being a leader' with Celtics

Current Nets Floor General Admits that not everything was sunshine and roses in Beantown.

Kyrie Irving was villified by the Celtics fan base for his two years in Boston. His first season saw an injury sideline him for the majority of the year, while the young upstart nucleus carry the team to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Last year, the team came apart at the seams; a rudderless ship that bowed out meekly in five games to the Bucks in the second round.

Speaking for the first time at the Nets Annual Media day, Irving admitted that his grandfather's death, coupled with other off-the-court personal problems, didn't make basketball his top priority. 

"I failed those guys," admitted Irving of his time in Boston. In terms of being a leader in that environment and bring those guys together, I failed."

Irving opened up to the media like never before as he hinted that because he couldn't find his own personal happiness that it was taking away from the love of the game. The 26 year old was very close with his late grandfather and he cites not properly mourning him and seeking counseling as a contributing factor to why it took the love for the game of basketball away from him.

As he looks to embark on a new chapter in Brooklyn, Irving admitted that growing up in New Jersey and watching the franchise's transition to Brooklyn has been an exciting thing for him. 

"For me it was honing in on what is important and that is coming home." 

It looked as though for the first time, in a long time, Irving was truly happy with where he is. Putting his head together with Durant to land in Brooklyn seems to be what he wanted all along. While he told the Celtics back in October that he was likely to resign with the franchise, loss in his personal life gave him a new perspective on basketball and it reshaped his priorities. 

Jersey is my where I come from but the Nets tranisitioning here is great, exclaimed Irving. "I grew up going to Nets games at Continental Airlines Arena, Let me bring this New York-New Jersey style here."