In Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals, as the second quarter wound down in Boston, the crowd was on the edge of their seats at TD Garden, soaking in the intensity as the green and white edged closer to a championship. During this moment, Kyrie Irving , once a beloved Celtic, now playing for the Dallas Mavericks , found himself diving into the fray to chase down a loose ball.
Kyrie's hustle sent him into the crowd, and he fell as he fought to regain his footing. But just as he was trying to get back in the game, according to ESPN's Mike Breen, a Boston fan apparently made an 'ugly' comment towards Irving.
"He's playing and he makes this great hustle play," Breen recalled the moment during a podcast appearance. "Dives into the stands and he was right behind us. Actually, he just completely plowed into our statistician, Dave Freed, and knocked him over… As we were trying to help him [Kyrie] up, and as we were helping him up, some fan yelled something… it was something ugly…"
"Those fans are great, they are great in Boston, but it's always that one fan that kind of spoils it sometimes, and unfortunately, he had something inappropriate to say," he added.
The villain in Boston
Irving stepped onto the TD Garden floor for an NBA Finals game, marking a significant moment in his career. Ironically, this wasn't in a green Celtics jersey as many had expected during his two-year stay in Boston. Instead, No. 11 was on a mission to thwart the C's' dreams as a Maverick.
After two seasons of mixed feelings with the Celtics, Irving moved to the Brooklyn Nets and eventually settled in Dallas. Boston fans couldn't shake off the disappointment of his final year and each return to TD Garden since he left cast Kai as the villain.
"Anybody who watched the series knew that Kyrie Irving is kind of villain No. 1 when he goes to Boston because of the way he left there," Breen added. "And he was getting booed every time he touched the ball. You know, I actually respect the way he handled a lot of it.
It all began during his second and final season with the team when he declared his desire to be a franchise cornerstone by signing a long-term extension. But as the season progressed, the story took a different turn.
Frustrated by the team's inconsistent results, especially with the younger players, the point guard began to retreat from his earlier commitment. It all ended on a sour note, especially as the Celtics were eliminated in the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks . In that series, Irving struggled mightily, hitting just 37 of his 104 shot attempts. This led to Boston fans seeing him as a letdown, as the offseason saw him sign with the Nets.
Related: "I am more disappointed today than I was back when I was not selected" -Isiah Thomas on handshake snub as the reason he didn't make the Dream Team
A hostile arena
The tension between Kyrie and the Boston fanbase escalated when, during a 2021 playoff game between the Nets and Celtics, he dropped 39 points and 11 rebounds in a Game 4 victory, pushing Brooklyn to a 3-1 lead. As he walked off the court, the TD Garden erupted in rancorous chants. Irving's response was controversial; he appeared to stomp on the Celtics' logo, a move viewed as highly disrespectful by the Bean Town faithful.
In 2024, the storyline came full circle as he faced the Celtics again, this time in the NBA Finals, but as a Maverick. The Boston crowd was relentless, booing Kai throughout the series. Irving's performances at TD Garden during the Finals were underwhelming: 12 points on 6-of-19 shooting in Game 1, missed all five of his 3-point attempts, and scored 16 and 15 points in Games 2 and 5, respectively.
Ultimately, the Mavericks lost the series in five games, as the Celtics dominated, showcasing their strength as the league's best team.
Related: "Trying to make peace in Boston" - Paul Pierce implied that Kyrie Irving embraced his villain role in front of Celtics fans
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