"They should boo the hell out of him"- Stephen A. Smith expects "vicious" treatment from Celtics fans for Kyrie Irving
On Thursday night, the Boston Celtics will begin their finals matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. Before the action gets underway, one analyst shared his thoughts on how the home crowd should treat an all-too-familiar face.
Among the biggest storylines in this series is Kyrie Irving going up against his former team. The former All-Star played in Boston for two seasons before departing for the Brooklyn Nets. There's been no love lost between both sides, as Irving famously stepped on the logo in a return to Boston in the past.
While talking about Game 1 on "First Take," Stephen A. Smith shared his thoughts on how Celtics fans should be toward Irving. He thinks they should let him hear it but stay within reason.
"I think it should be vicious," Stephen A. said. "I don't have a problem saying that. I mean vicious but obviously within reason. Don't do anything physical.
"They should boo the hell out of him."
Irving went to Boston after departing from LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving once said he wanted to play long-term in Boston but later decided to join forces with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.
Kyrie Irving speaks on his time with Boston Celtics
Before the NBA Finals get underway, Kyrie Irving sat down for an interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews. Among the things brought up was his thoughts about his Boston Celtics tenure.
With years to look back and reflect, Irving doesn't hold a grudge with the city or the organization. In fact, he cited his time in Boston as a key factor in his growth.
"I would not be here without Boston," Irving said. "Literally and figuratively. Just because without me going through what I went through here I would not be who I am today.
"I'm grateful that I have history here. Some of it is up-and-down, but I've accepted it."
Irving's time with the Celtics began the change in his perception around the league. He was viewed as a locker room issue at the time, and the off-court stuff only got worse during his stint in Brooklyn.
Since the Nets traded him midway through last season, Irving has gone through a resurgence in the NBA. Being able to play at a high level alongside Luka Doncic has reshaped how many see the eight-time All-Star now. Irving can fully complete this transformation by helping deliver the Mavericks a championship.
Even though Irving seems to have made peace with things, there might still be some lingering emotions. He will need to put those emotions aside for now as his focus needs to be on winning the NBA title.