The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 to complete the Eastern Conference Finals sweep. That is, now the fans await to see who their next opponent will be, between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks (lead 3-0). With this in mind, I think it is safe to say, ex-Celtics player, Kyrie Irving, who currently plays on the Mavs, has certainly not been forgotten by Boston fans. After winning 4-0, fans were already thinking about the 32-year-old, as they were in the streets chanting, "F*** Kyrie."
"F*ck Kyrie" chants breaking out outside TD Garden...
Here we go pic.twitter.com/xlQDBKAd1F
— CelticsMuse (@CelticsMuse) May 28, 2024
Needless to say, Boston doesn't like Kyrie, and Kyrie apparently didn't really like Boston.
According to ESPN's Jackie MacMullan, who was a former Boston Globe sports columnist, "Kyrie Irving didn't like Boston. I've been told this by many people. He didn't like living in Boston."
Kyrie originally arrived in Boston, because he wanted out of Cleveland, as he requested a trade from the Cavaliers, after three straight trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and winning the 2016 championship with co-star LeBron James.
Thereupon, after losing in the 2017 ECF to the Warriors, Kyrie landed in Boston for the 2017-2018 season, where he averaged 24.4 points (49.1% FG - career-high) and 5.1 assists.
The season didn't end on a high note though, as Kyrie missed the playoffs after undergoing a knee procedure at the end of the regular season. Nevertheless at this point, everything was still fine and dandy between the 26-year-old (at the time) and the city of Boston.
That is to say, Kyrie even told Boston fans at a 2018-19 preseason fan event, "If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here."
"I'm happy here," Kyrie said (as reported by ESPN), "Every single day is at an all-time competitive high. What more can you ask for from an organization than taking a chance as far as getting me out of Cleveland?"
Kyrie even announced he wanted his jersey retired in the rafters at the TD Garden. Confirming to fans, he had no plans to move whatsoever.
"Honestly, it just was like, 'Man, I do not want to move again,' Kyrie was on the record saying. "I do not want to uproot my family and just be dealing with anything new again. No disrespect to other organizations, but here is perfect for me."
Celtics fans shouldn't have fallen for this, as the NBA champion said the same thing to Cleveland fans after being drafted first overall by the Cavs in 2011.
Kyrie even told a kid, "I won't leave. How could I leave you guys?"
The 2018-19 season turned out to be a tumultuous year between Kyrie and the Celtics front office, to say the least. Having said that, the point guard left Boston on bad terms, as he jumped ship again and signed with the Brooklyn Nets to join forces with his buddy Kevin Durant during the following offseason. Then after four years playing for the Nets, which he also didn't fit well there either, Kyrie now currently has found a home in Dallas (hopefully he doesn't jinx it here).
Being one game away from the NBA Finals, Kyrie may find himself playing against his former team. And as one would expect, Boston fans, who are known for being super friendly to opponents, let alone former players, will be waiting for his arrival.
Leading the Timberwolves 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, the Mavs have great odds to move on to the championship, as when looking at NBA history, teams are 0-155 all-time when coming back from three games down in a playoff series.
The Celtics, who had the best record in the NBA this season will have home court advantage in the Finals, so Games 1+2 will undoubtedly feature a lot of boos, most of which will seemingly be directed at Kyrie. To note, Kyrie has a 12-6 playoff record vs. the Celtics throughout his NBA career.
