Kyrie Irving reflects on time with Celtics as he prepares for battle in NBA Finals

Kyrie Irving has become a true leader, a better player, and a great teammate

Blessed is a man who learns life lessons from his experiences whether positive or negative. Kyrie Irving went through his fair share of adversity during his time in Boston, and it shows how much he has evolved and matured as a person and a player.

You can see the love that Irving has for his teammates, and how much that has reverberated throughout the Mavs locker room. It's also apparent in the relationship he developed with fellow superstar Luka Doncic and how they have collectively proved the critics wrong when they predicted that the dynamic duo would fail.

The Mavs trading for Irving was the best thing they could do for Doncic as he has embraced the culture Doncic and the Mavs have created. He came in willing to be the No. 2 option behind Doncic, he understood that the Mavs are Doncic's team, but he also realizes when it's time to step up and take over when the time comes.

Irving may have finally come to the realization that winning a championship is difficult, especially when a team is depending on you to lead the way. Back when he won the title in Cleveland, he was one of the key reasons they won, but he was one of many reasons they did win.

That experience for Irving in Boston helped him to realize how important it is to find his role on a team and to also accept the fact that he doesn't have to be the primary scorer on a championship team. Irving's leadership and experience have been invaluable, especially in the WCF when most of those games were decided with less than three minutes to go.

The city of Dallas has welcomed Irving, embraced him, and hopes that he will continue to elevate the team with his presence. he may be playing Robin to Doncic's Batman, but he is just as important nonetheless.