Jayson Tatum takes high road talking about Kyrie Irving's Boston Celtics tenure

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics will begin the final chapter of the journey to Banner 18 on June 6. They will face Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Dallas Mavericks, who have been tearing it up on their side of the field. Although, this series brings a unique aspect that's been all the talk lately.

Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics.

Irving's tenure wearing the Leprechaun green jersey was filled with highs and probably too many lows, leading to tons of controversy among fans. But the Celtics star, Tatum, took the high road when the media asked about his time alongside his former teammate.

"It was some ups and downs," Tatum started (h/t Dallas Basketball). "For me being a first/second-year player, being around a superstar essentially every day, seeing how to navigate that space... On the court, he's one of the most talented guys I've ever seen. Seems like a very long time ago but I've got a lot of great memories from having (Kyrie Irving) as a teammate."

As Tatum stated, he has "a lot of great memories" with Irving. Perhaps he was referring to reaching the NBA Eastern Conference Finals despite Irvin's knee injury that kept him off the court. Who knows?

Regardless, it's important that Tatum took the high road, professionally and maturely speaking about Irving's tenure with the Celtics in a brighter light.

What does this mean for Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics going forward?

There's so much on the line, and this organization is four wins away from adding another piece to their storied history. The off-court drama can wait, and it should stay that way; there's no real effect at the end of the day.

The NBA Finals will start at the TD Garden, and the entire arena will be filled with mixed emotions involving cheers and boos. Nobody can blame them; that's just the nature of the sport, and the fans make the experience that much better.

As the adage goes, "That's why you play the game."