WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving said at the club's media day on Monday that Boston is the right place for him.
"This franchise is really built for the next few years of being at the top-tier of teams in the league. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that? What more could you ask for from an organization to really elevate your game," Irving was quoted as saying by the club's official website.
"When you want to be on the same lineage of greatness as the guys that have come before you, there are times where I have thought about having No. 11 in the rafters hopefully, one day. That's a dream. I feel that way about my teammates, I feel that way about the organization and I'm looking forward to the challenge this year," said Irving, who will be free agent next summer.
Irving last season missed the final 15 games of the regular season and all of the playoffs, but the team stormed all the way to the Eastern Conference finals where they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, his former team.
With the return of All-Star Gordon Hayward, who missed 81 games with an ankle and leg injury, the Celtics are favored to win the East this coming season and play against Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
