All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving might be trying to send a message to someone Monday. In Irving's time speaking to the media following the Boston Celtics' 94-82 preseason win over the Charlotte Hornets, he wore a cap that had a cryptic statement on it. Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe shared through Twitter what was on the hat.
It is uncertain what this meant. A report by Uproxx suggested that this may have been a shot towards Irving's former teammate, LeBron James. The two have guided the Cleveland Cavaliers to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and one championship.
However, in the offseason, it was revealed that Irving demanded a trade from the Cavs. The 25-year-old desires to be a leader and get out of the shadow of James. In August, his request got granted as the Cavaliers shipped him to Boston in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a 2018 first-round pick, and a 2020 second-rounder.
Kyrie Irving wore a cap postgame that read: "Popularity contests are not truth contests." #celtics #cavaliers
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) October 3, 2017
Lackluster performances
In other Kyrie Irving news, the playmaker did not have the best preseason debut for Boston. Irving started for the Celtics versus the Hornets recording nine points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 19 minutes of action.
He had some great plays but struggled overall with his offense as he shot 4-of-11 from the field (1-of-3 from the three-point area).
Aside from Irving, Gordon Hayward was lackluster against Charlotte. The 27-year-old only tallied five points, five rebounds, and an assist. Hayward is expected to be one of the new faces of the franchise for the Boston Celtics after the departure of familiar names like Thomas and Avery Bradley during the offseason.
Celtics' preseason
The next assignment for Irving, Hayward and the Celtics is a two-game series taking on the Philadelphia 76ers. The first meeting between Boston and Philly is set for October 6 at the Wells Fargo Center. The second game will be on October 9 at the TD Garden.
Boston's final preseason outing is on October 11, and it is a rematch with the Hornets at the Spectrum Center.
The Celtics will then have less than a week to prepare for their regular season opener in which they will face the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena. It is a highly anticipated matchup due to everything that happened in the offseason. The game is a rematch as well of the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals, though both squads are heading into it with new players on their rosters.
