Boston Celtics stars Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum appeared on a podcast together and the conversation eventually turned to Irving’s future with the team. They were guests on “Knuckleheads,” which is hosted by Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles.
This part of the conversation began with a group discussion about working out with Kobe Bryant. From there, they discussed Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal winning championships together on the Los Angeles Lakers.
After that, they spoke about Irving’s time playing alongside LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving said that the ridiculously dominant nature of their dynamic led him to recently ask James for advice about “being part of a great duo” with Tatum in Boston.
Irving continued, talking as if he and Tatum will be starring alongside each other for years to come, which is exactly what fans in Boston want to hear (via Knuckleheads):
“I see the same thing in what me and [Tatum] talk about now. We’re six years apart. And I try to tell him, I’m like, look: ‘I’m a liason between all of this… Whatever you need me to do. I’ll get out your way once you get to that point [of greatness]. You go ahead. This is yours. You want it? Go take it.’ And I tell J as well: ‘Me and you in this, going for the guts and glory. When it’s all on the line? I know I need you right next to me. So let’s get this thing going.’ I have a different relationship with all of my teammates but specifically with him, how special he is.”
During the podcast, it became increasingly clear that the relationship between Irving and Tatum is really strong.
As recently noted by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, Irving’s friendships on the team “start and end” with the 21-year-old forward. O’Connor cited their shared agent Jeffrey Wechsler as well as their history with Bryant as two of the biggest driving forces. Both also played college basketball at Duke for head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
While the circumstances surrounding Irving’s upcoming free agency still remain unclear, the bond between Irving and Tatum could play a big role in keeping the point guard in Boston.
