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It’s clear that Boston Celtics fans aren’t too fond of Kyrie Irving. Irving played two seasons in Boston, but their marriage ended in a bitter divorce after Celtics fans grew frustrated with some of his antics. Many fans believed Irving, acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers in August 2017, was a bad teammate and a locker room killer. Former Celtics teammate, Grant Williams, who always played with Irving with the Dallas Mavericks, says that wasn’t the case.
Williams, now a member of the Charlotte Hornets, explained how Irving took him under his wing when Williams was just getting started in the NBA. He said Irving was also a good teammate with the Mavs, and Williams gave a much different outlook of Irving than what Celtics fans feel.
Grant Williams Says Kyrie Irving Isn’t the Guy Celtics Fans Think He Is
Things got ugly quickly for Irving in Boston. Two years after stating he would love to re-sign with the team during an event for season ticket holders, Irving bolted for the Brooklyn Nets via free agency. Irving was expected to take the Celtics to the next level, but he frustrated Boston fans with his inconsistent play and his nonchalant demeanor.
The 2019 playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks may have been what pushed Irving out of Boston. After defeating the Bucks in Game 1, the Celtics lost four straight with Irving underachieving throughout the series.
In Games 2, 3, and 4, Irving made just 19 of his 62 shots from the floor. After going 7-for-22 in Game 4, a reporter asked Irving about his shooting woes.
“Who cares?” he said to reporters after the game.
“For me, I had 22 shots, I should’ve shot 30.”
While Celtics fans were annoyed with Irving, Williams said he was a big fan of Irving, who helped him adjust to life in the NBA as a young player.
“I feel like it’s a level of growth from every person, but at the same time, it’s always narrative and spin,” Williams said during a May episode of “The Cedric Maxwell Podcast.” “It’s the same way they talked about Russell Westbrook being, quote, the worst player. Then get goes to the Clippers, and it’s like, he’s an impact player.
“I remember Kyrie, when I first got into the league, he treated me with some of the most respect and care of any rookie, second-year, third-year player. I’m thankful because he was that way when I got to Dallas. Kyrie’s been that love bug, that embracing (person). He always has that on teams.”
Williams Explained Kyrie’s Stomping on the Celtics Logo
Since his departure from Boston, Irving has heard the boos ad jeers when he returns to TD Garden. He’s been shown flipping off fans during games as they boo him. After a Nets playoff victory in Boston, Irving went to mid-court and stomped on the logo, something that irked Boston fans.
Maxwell, a longtime Celtics player in the 1980s and current radio broadcaster for the team, brought up the stomping subject, saying he was “pissed off” when it happened.
“Do you remember when TO (former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens) went to the star (at midfield of Cowboys Stadium)?” Williams asked. “I’m not supporting what he did at all because I have a level of respect for Boston for the level of care they showed me.
“But at the same time, that’s the kind of level of like, you guys wanna treat me this way? All right, we’ll do this. We’ll compete, and when we beat you, I’m gonna put my flag, like an Oklahoma/Texas game, put my flag in the middle of your stadium because you guys didn’t want me or you guys talked crazy about me.”
Both Maxwell and Williams believe the stomp was to the fans, not the organization.
“I took it as a stomp to the fans, like y’all want to keep talking and calling me this and calling me that,” Williams said.
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