“And it’s not every fan, I don’t want to attack every Boston fan. When people start yelling [expletives] and all this stuff, there’s only but so much you take as a competitor. We’re the ones expected to be docile and be humble, take a humble approach … it’s the play-offs. This is what it is.”
Irving spent two seasons in Boston before departing during free agency in 2019 to join the Nets.
He was booed loudly every time he touched the ball during game one but led Brooklyn with 39 points in the Nets’ last-second 115-114 loss. Fans have given him similar receptions in recent visits to Boston.
But it reached its most volatile point last season during the play-off match-up between the Nets and Celtics when a fan was arrested after allegedly tossing a bottle at Irving that nearly hit him.
With that history in mind, leading up to the start of the series Irving said he expected a level of jeering from Celtics’ fans. He also noted after last season’s incident that he had experienced what he characterised as “racism” from the TD Garden crowd.
Simmons closer to Nets debut, Kyrie fined $68,000 for giving Boston fans the finger
Source: Philippines Alive
