Getty Nets star Kyrie Irving can't play games in New York City.
Opposing NBA fans heckling NBA players is nothing new. Especially if the NBA player in mind was one that used to play for said opposing fans. When Kyrie Irving left the Boston Celtics for the Brooklyn Nets back in 2019, he probably expected some form of backlash when he switched teams. Whether he did or he didn’t, clearly the noise was strong enough during Game 1 between the Nets and the Celtics for him to comment about it after the game.
Irving’s words struck a nerve with some of the analysts over at NBA on TNT, specifically their analysts who were previously NBA stars that dealt with similar situations in their playing days, like Charles Barkley. Barkley was clearly not a fan of Irving’s whines to the media regarding how Celtics fans treated him.
Charles Barkley is tired of Kyrie Irving’s whining 😬
“Come on man, please stop,” Barkley said in response to Irving’s comments. Barkley then continued on, saying, “Most of the fans are amazing. Some of them are going to say some rude stuff. Please stop with you athletes today, whining like little-” before stopping himself from saying something that may have gotten him in trouble.
Since Barkley was an NBA superstar who was also seen as controversial among fans for being outspoken as an athlete during his days as a player, it would make sense to why he wouldn’t be a fan of Irving’s complaints.
Former Celtic Shaquille O’Neal Also Weighed in on Kyrie’s Comments
Barkley was not the only one who took issue with what Kyrie had to say to the press about the heckling. While Shaq didn’t rip Kyrie for complaining about how Celtics fans treated him, he touched up on the fact that fans booing star players comes with the territory of being an NBA player, especially if you’re a star.
“Certain cities, they don’t care what you say at the press conferences,” O’Neal said. “You know what’s going to happen in Game 2? They’re going to be talking more smack up there in Boston. I played in Boston (for) two years, but, listen it happens to the best of us. You don’t think people said stuff to Charles Barkley? You don’t think people said stuff to Hakeem Olajuwon?… Man up. Bill Russell went through it.”
As he pointed out, Shaquille O’Neal played for the Celtics at the end of his career, so, unlike Barkley, he knows what it’s like to be on both sides of the equation when it comes to fan treatment.
Charles Barkley Gave Live Reaction to Jayson Tatum’s Buzzer Beater
While NBA on TNT was doing their pregame show for Game 1 between the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks, evidently the studio had Game 1 of the Celtics and the Nets playing while they were doing their segment. As Tatum scored the buzzer-beating layup to take the 1-0 series lead, Barkley exclaimed, “Oh! Layup at the buzzer! Jayson Tatum!” all while Kenny Smith was giving his pregame analysis on the upcoming series.
Barkley then gave his thoughts on both the game and his impression of the series as a whole. “KD did not play good today. That is the problem with this Nets team. Both of those guys have to play great. There’s no room for error. Kyrie was amazing today (while) KD struggled. If those guys don’t play great, which I don’t think I can four times in a week, that’s why I like the Celtics in that series.”