Kyrie Irving was reportedly upset at an ‘inappropriate’ remark aimed at him when he accidentally crashed into fans during the NBA Finals.
In the second quarter of Monday’s Game 5 in Boston, Irving dove for a loose ball and landed on the announcer’s table as his Mavericks hung on while down 3-1 to the Celtics.
After the point guard got up after successfully keeping the ball in bounds, broadcaster Mike Breen noted that Irving also received an unpleasant remark from a fan as he dove into the Boston crowd.
“Irving was upset,’ Breen said. ‘Somebody said something to him, inappropriate while the guy’s down on the floor, which was a disgrace.”
The remarks and the person who delivered them were not disclosed after the incident.
Kyrie Irving was ‘upset at an inappropriate comment’ after crashing into the broadcast table
As they have been all series, Celtics fans have been hostile towards Irving, who has a muddied history with the team. After crashing into Breen and his colleagues, the TD Garden crowd poured ‘Kyrie sucks’ chants onto the court.
Irving, who played for the Celtics from 2017-2019, has maintained a bitter relationship with the team’s fanbase since his turbulent departure to Brooklyn concluded a disappointing run with the C’s.
The not-so-friendly receptions continued as Irving, now a Maverick, returned to Beantown for the season finale in his old stomping grounds.
The Boston crowd has been extremely hostile towards Irving throughout the NBA Finals
Irving lost to his former team in his first NBA Finals appearance since 2017 with the Cavaliers
Irving’s time in Boston came on the heels of his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he won a championship in 2016.
However, much of the buildup led to disappointment, and Irving would join Kevin Durant and James Harden in the failed Brooklyn Nets experiment from 2019-2023.
None of Irving’s visits to Massachusetts have been pleasant since. The former Duke star memorably flipped fans off behind his head. In another incident, a fan got thrown out of the arena for allegedly chucking a water bottle at Irving.
Celtics fans went as far as taping Irving’s face onto a blowup doll before Game 1 and wearing t-shirts showing his face with a clown nose.
Irving was happy to meet with fans and have his picture taken during his stint in Boston
Nevertheless, Irving and his Mavericks lost the series in five games as the Celtics secured their 18th title in franchise history.
Irving scored 15 points and collected nine assists in the Mavs’ losing effort. After losing in his first finals appearance since 2017 with the Cavaliers, Irving took to social media to express his gratitude.
‘Tribe, stay together no matter what,’ Irving wrote on X. ‘Through the ups and downs, wins and losses, success and failure. Keep your head up high. This mission is bigger than us. I love you all!’
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