Kyrie Irving. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Celtics fans went to the Garden last night eager to watch a team practice, but got a heck of an unexpected treat from Kyrie Irving when he took the mic at center-court.
"I shared it with some of my teammates, as well as the organization and everyone else in Boston--you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing next week," he said.
That's right--after months of speculation, the All-Star plans to re-sign with the C's next summer. Irving communicated that commitment to ownership, the front office, and teammates the last several weeks before letting fans and media in on his secret. Why wait, rather than ink an extension now? Irving can add an extra year and up to 80 million more dollars.
Irving isn't interested in playing out the string until he can head to New York. That narrative should go away. The guard's gushed about Boston's future potential, and C's legend Paul Pierce approves.
"It's all about legacy, it's having legacy here in Boston," Pierce said. "It could be like none other in the NBA. I think he has a clear understanding of that. He's a smart player, he's a smart guy. He understands that championship window, also, doesn't last that long. He had his run in Cleveland, and he sees a future here in Boston, to where it could be really something special."
Irving won't play in tomorrow's preseason finale in Cleveland and Gordon Hayward's expected to sit out as well.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports