One of the biggest storylines entering the 2024 NBA Finals is Kyrie Irving’s return to Boston, and the potentially hostile crowd of Celtics fans who will bring the boo birds. But Irving’s Dallas Mavericks teammate was called out on Monday for his poor relationship with a former teammate, and Luka Doncic didn’t take to the criticism all that well.
Doncic Clears The Air About Porzingis Rumors
Luka had to set the record straight 😅
(via @RunItBackFDTV) pic.twitter.com/JvwiIkMbbZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 4, 2024
During a table talk on FanDuel TV, former NBA player Chandler Parsons made some comments about Kristaps Porzingis’ situation in the upcoming Finals. Parsons said that there is still plenty of bad blood between Porzingis, who spent 2.5 seasons in Dallas, and the Mavericks fans. He added that the rocky relationship between Doncic and Porzingis didn’t help, saying that there is an “actual beef” between the two.
Doncic wasn’t a fan of Parsons’ comments:
I’ve talked to Chandler Parsons maybe twice in my life. I don’t know how he would know that. Me and KP have a good relationship.
Parsons was a member of the Mavericks at one point in his career, but his two-year stint in Dallas ended three years before Doncic ever arrived. He was never a teammate of Porzingis.
Celtics Health Could Be A Factor
Kristaps Porzingis is expected to return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals barring a setback, per @ShamsCharania pic.com/iV3vfXjFC7
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 4, 2024
Porzingis and the Celtics are the clear favorites to win the NBA Championship this year, as has been the notion all season long. They were borderline dominant during the regular season, and continued it into the playoffs, where they have lost just two games thus far. But Doncic and the Mavericks will present their toughest test yet, as the two stars for Dallas are giving peak performances at the right time.
There are still lingering concerns about the health of Porzingis, though. The Celtics big man hasn’t played since Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs, and while reports point to him being available for Game 1 of the Finals, he hasn’t been fully cleared as of yet. Given how much of an impact he made during the regular season, his availability could prove to be a huge factor in the final series of the year.
Game 1 will be played in Boston on Thursday night, and the Celtics will enter the contest as 6.5-point favorites.
