Nearly everyone has regrets about the way they acted when they were younger, and Cleveland Cavaliers star point guard Kyrie Irving is no exception.

Now 25 years old and preparing for his third-straight NBA Finals appearance, Irving opened up about how he acted when he was a 21-year-old player.

Mike Brown, the assistant coach of the Golden State Warriors who is leading the team while head coach Steve Kerr deals with serious health issues, was coaching the Cavs at the time, and it's safe to say he and Irving didn't have the best relationship.

Brown was fired (for a second time) by the Cavs after the 2013-14 season and Irving signed an extension with the team shortly thereafter. Irving told ESPN.com ahead of Thursday's NBA Finals Game 1 that he regrets the way he treated Brown and the role he played in the coach's firing:

"It was a learning experience, to say the least," Irving said. "I kind of regret being part of that, because he was just trying to teach me a lot of things that I didn't necessarily understand as a 21-year-old in the NBA."

It's safe to say Irving would handle things differently now that he's an older, more mature person and player, but at the time, there was a lot going on in his world.

Irving said switching to Brown's system was difficult on him, but admitted that he didn't handle it the way he could have and should have:

"I understand that things happen in this league sometimes, whether controlled or uncontrolled," Irving said. "I was a 21-year-old kid, just trying to lead a franchise, and he was a new head coach that I had to get introduced to a new offense, new players, as well as new system."

It's unclear if Irving and Brown have actually spoken since the Cavs fired Brown, but it sounds like there is no ill will on either side.

To his credit, Brown has said there are no hard feelings between him and Irving, or with the Cavs in general. He said he's simply trying to do all he can to help Golden State win this year's title and that there's no bad blood:

"A lot of people have said this to me, and maybe I am made up differently - I'm not looking at this as Cleveland fired me twice, this is the time to get back at them, or is there any extra incentive?" Brown said. "No, I just want to win. I don't care who it is, I just want to be a part of a winning program and be the last team standing."

Brown and Irving will play big parts for their teams as they square off in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. Whether or not Brown is a part of the last team standing, though, remains to be seen.