Getty Kyrie Irving may have woken up a sleeping giant with his comments after Game 1.
Kyrie Irving made just six of his 19 shots and finished with 12 points as his Dallas Mavericks were thumped by the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals.
Irving, who fell out of favor with Celtics fans after his ugly divorce from the team in 2019, has always been hounded and harassed each time he’s returned to TD Garden as an opponent. While the Garden crowd did boo whenever Irving touched the ball in Game 1, the Mavericks star thought Celtics fans weren’t quite on their game either.
Kyrie Irving: ‘I Thought It Was Going To Be a Little Louder’
Irving and Celtics fans haven’t mixed well ever since the eight-time All-Star bolted for the Brooklyn Nets via free agency after the 2018-19 season. When Irving arrived in Boston via trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers before the 2017-18 season, he told a group of season ticket holders at a TD Garden event that he’d re-sign with the team when his contract was up.
Irving’s time in Boston didn’t go well. He was often blamed for the team underachieving. He was blamed for the lack of team chemistry. Irving parted ways with the Celtics, who got nothing in return.
Whenever Irving has come back to Boston, Celtics fans have blasted him. They’ve chanted obscenities, thrown water bottles at him and booed him each time he’s touched the ball. In return, Irving stomped on the on-court Celtics logo after a victory in 2021. He’s also been fined for flipping off Celtics fans during a game.
After Boston’s Game 1 victory, Irving hinted that the Garden crowd wasn’t up to par. He expected more.
“Being in this environment, I’m used to it at this point,” Irving told reporters after the game. “Early in my career, there was a different relationship I had with Boston.
“I thought it was going to be a little louder in here. I’m expecting the same things going into Game 2. The crowd’s trying to get me out of my element. The energy has got to be focused toward the game,” he said.
“The environment is going to be what it is,” he said. “My focus is on our game plan and making sure my guys feel confident, and I feel confident.”
Irving’s Comment May Set Up a Wild Ride in Game 2
No matter how Irving said it. Celtics fans will take his comment to heart. They’ll take it as a subtle dig and a slap in the face. Look for a much louder TD Garden in Game 2.
Celtics fans can get rough. They are some of the most knowledgeable fans in the business. They also have no filter.
During the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, they got all over Draymond Green. Green, who played poorly in the series, turned into an instigator by issuing cheap shots throughout the series. That prompted Green to get singled out, Boston-style, as fans chanted, “(expletive) you, Draymond” during the series.
Green’s teammate Klay Thompson sarcastically called Celtics fans “classy” during his postgame conference.
“We’ve played in front of rude people before,” Thompson said. “Dropping F-bombs with children in the crowd. … Real Classy. Good job, Boston.”
Celtics fans never forget. Although he did it subtly, Irving called them out after Game 1. Expect a much more vocal Celtics crowd in Game 2.