Getty Kemba Walker #8 of the Boston Celtics looks during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
Sorry to break it to you Boston Celtics fans, but Kemba Walker is New York through and through. A Bronx native, Walker grew up an avid fan of New York sports. The former UConn standout even admitted to “seriously” considering a return to his roots by signing with the Knicks before ultimately joining the Celtics as a free agent in 2019.
While Walker may ultimately bleed green nowadays, he still keeps a Yankees cap in his wardrobe, as most New Yorkers do. And let’s just say, Boston sports fans are not all too pleased.
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Boston Fans Can’t Handle Kemba Walker in a Yankees Hat
Did the All-Star point guard just commit the cardinal sin of Boston sports? Walker donned a green Yankees cap prior to Boston’s Christmas Day tipoff with the Brooklyn Nets. While the injured Walker looks to be trending upwards towards his return to the court, it may take him a tad bit longer to return within the good graces of some Boston sports diehards.
Fans quickly took to Twitter after peeping Walker’s attire choice, putting forth their best Met Gala-esque reaction, tearing into his decision to represent another sports franchise, let alone the biggest rival of the Celtics’ baseball counterparts, the Red Sox.
Kemba really has to cool it with the Yankees hats…
Celtics on NBC Sports Boston kicked things off, voicing their disappointment across the social media platform to their 78.1K Twitter followers. From there, the hot takes began to pour in.
@NBCSCeltics That’s just disrespectful to the hometown. I don’t care if he’s from NY and loves the team, you’re in New England and the Yanks are@our arch rivals in baseball. TB12 got the same flack when he wore an NY hat when he was dating Gisele.
@NBCSCeltics Cut the shit and delete this.
Some even went as far as to say that the Celtics should cut ties with Walker. While fellow Celtics guards Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart have been the main topic in a potential deal that would land James Harden, this Twitter user below has a different idea, calling for Boston to send Walker to Houston if he “can’t get on board.”
@NBCSCeltics @NBCSBoston Send him to Houston if he can’t get onboard
Simply put, many Boston fans struggled to cope with their All-Star point guard in rival’s apparel. Thankfully, plenty of Celtics fans jumped in to play the voice of reason, questioning any outrage over such a trivial topic such as a hat.
Non-New York-Based Athletes in Yankee Apparel is Nothing New
This isn’t Walker’s first run-in with Boston fans over what is now becoming an infamous hat collection of his. Back in August, the Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies handily in a game which Walker finished with 19 points on 70% shooting. However, it was yet again his Yankees cap that made the most waves.
Although by the sound of it, Walker knew exactly what he was getting himself into.
“Boston fans gonna KILL me.”
Not mad just disappointed @KembaWalker 😔😔😔
Yet, non-New York-based athletes sporting New York-themed sporting apparel is nothing new in the sports world.
All-time Boston legend Tom Brady has been known to don a Yankees hat from time to time. While LeBron James’ hat choice changes nearly as much as Drake’s weekly bandwagon choice, readily bouncing between the Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Dallas Cowboys.
Latest on Walker’s Timetable to Return to Action
In reality, all of this means nothing. The actual news surrounding Walker is his health. Head coach Brad Stevens gave reporters an update on Walker’s knee, which received a stem cell injection this offseason.
“Kemba is on the court doing one on one stuff with a coach,” Stevens said. “Still no up and down, no cutting, no one else on the basket. So, still a long way away.”
Walker echoed Stevens take, claiming “there’s no rush.”
“There’s no rush on my end. I’m coming back when I need to come back, and when I’m feeling good to play. So that’s it,” Walker said. “This is, I haven’t really been a guy who has been hurt over the course of my career. So, this sucks, but I also love the game of basketball, and I want to play at a high level in front of the fans who come to watch this game. So I want to be at my best. The last time in the playoffs, I wasn’t at my best, and that sucked. I don’t want to be that way no more.”
The good news, Walker was spotted getting shots in during pre-game on Sunday night’s loss to the Indiana Pacers. The return of Walker would undoubtedly serve as an added jolt for a Celtics team sitting at 1-2 on the season. However, for a team with title hopes, there’s no reason to rush Walker back on the court before he’s ready.
Kemba Walker getting some shots in before the game 👀
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