Boston Celtics fans have heard this one before.
After being swept out of the playoffs Monday night by his former team, Kyrie Irving said his plan is to stay in Brooklyn for the long haul. The Nets guard, who has a player option for 2022-23, was asked after the Game 4 loss about whether he plans to sign a contract extension.
"In terms of my extension, I don't really plan on going anywhere," Irving said. "This is added motivation for our franchise to be at the top of the league for the next few years, and I'm just looking forward to the summer and just building with our guys here."
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Celtics sweeping Brooklyn into the summer draws Draymond's attention
Irving infamously pledged to re-sign with the Celtics back in 2018 only to leave Boston for Brooklyn the following summer. Given his history of going back on his word, the reporter followed up with a question about Irving's commitment to playing alongside Kevin Durant.
"I think I kind of answered that with my last answer," Irving responded. "But when I say I'm here with Kev, I think that really entails us managing this franchise together alongside Joe (Tsai) and Sean (Marks) and just our group of family members that we have in our locker room, in our organization.
"It's not just about me and Kev, I don't want to make it just about that. We are cornerstones here, but we have Ben (Simmons), we have other guys that are under contract. I think we've just gotta make some moves this offseason and really talk about it and really be intentional about what we're building and have some fun with it, make it enjoyable and hopefully we can start from Day 1 just as a squad and as a family and we just really worry about us."
Boston Celtics
Durant signed a four-year extension with the Nets last season. Irving recently told reporters "there's no way I'm leaving my man No. 7 anywhere." Whether the first-round sweep leads to another change of heart for Irving remains to be seen this summer.
After going off for 39 points on 12-of-20 shooting in Game 1, Irving tallied 46 points on 16-of-43 shooting in Games 2 through 4 combined. It's the first time Irving and Durant have been swept in the playoffs in their respective careers.
You can watch Irving's full postgame press conference below: