Getting the kind of news Danny Ainge received from Kyrie Irving this week can make a man weak in the knees.



Can warm his heart, really.



To the point where Ainge might say something like Irving “can be the best player in the world,” which is what Ainge told The Athletic in an interview this week.



Irving revealed to Celtics fans Thursday and, sources told The Athletic, informed Boston’s ownership group of his intention to sign a new, long-term contract with the Cs next summer. Ainge, as general manager and VP of basketball, was of course privy to that discussion.



If Irving does indeed follow through on this, declines his $21.4 million option for next season and signs a new, five-year, $189 million deal with Boston, the core of the rising Eastern juggernaut Ainge has built over the past several years will solidify. The Celtics will be in prime position to peel off the kind of Finals runs Irving was used to his last three years in...