Kyrie: Being famous 'is a little hard for me'

All of the fanfare and attention Kyrie Irving gets off the court are things that the Boston Celtics All-Star would rather not deal with.

"I didn't really come into this game to (have) cameras in my face, be famous, be a celebrity, whatever embodies that," said Irving on Monday. "It's a little hard for me. I wanted those things when I was younger, but now ... I just want to play basketball at a very high level.

"The distractions that come from within the team sometimes can get overwhelming. I'm human so I just try not to let it seep into my teammates. That's the most important thing, you know. Setting an example for these young guys."

Irving has found himself under a larger spotlight than usual this season, with his highly touted Celtics failing to live up to expectations and rumors of his pending free agency making headlines on a regular basis.

Recent reports cited Irving as being detached from his teammates aside from sophomore Jayson Tatum. It fueled speculation that the 26-year-old point guard could leave this summer, even though he verbally committed to remaining with the franchise long term in front of season-ticket holders prior to the start of the campaign.

He's currently averaging 23.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.9 assists on nearly 50 percent shooting for a 38-26 Celtics team that sits fifth in the Eastern Conference.