"Thought it was gonna be louder" - Kyrie Irving irks Celtics crowd with bold comments after hostile reception
Kyrie Irving made a bold statement when asked about the hostile reception he received at TD Garden during Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics on Thursday. The arena erupted with chants of "Kyrie Sucks" and continued during the game each time the guard missed a shot.
He had three turnovers on the night, each of which had the chant coming in copious doses. However, the 32-year-old brushed off the reception with comments that may just heighten the hostility in Game 2.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the 107-89 loss, Irving said he was used to the level of hate from Boston fans, and that he even expected it to be louder:
“It’s basketball at the end of the day. Being in this environment, I’m used to it at this point," Irving said. "Earlier in my career, there was a different relationship that I had with Boston… I thought it was gonna be a little louder in here.”
Kyrie Irving has been labeled as a villain in Boston ever since he exited the franchise to join the Brooklyn Nets. He later had ample incidents with Celtics fans — whether it was stomping the C's logo on the hardwood or flipping the bird at fans, there has been enough drama between the two parties.
On Thursday, he had a 12-point off game, much to the delight of the Boston crowd. The guard shot 6-of-19 from the field and struggled to buy a single 3-pointer as the Mavericks were held to less than 90 points in Game 1.
Kyrie Irving tells fans to keep the faith after Mavericks go down in Game 1
In typical Kyrie Irving fashion, the mercurial eight-time NBA All-Star took to X/Twitter soon after the loss and had a message for Mavs fans. He asked them to keep their hopes up as Dallas will look to bounce back in Game 2 on Sunday:
"Tribe, Keep GOD 1st and stay together, this mission is bigger than us."
It was just Luka Doncic's 30-point double-double that showed some semblance of a fight in Game 1 as the Mavs were no match for the Celtics unit that played quality all-round basketball.
Up next, Kyrie Irving and Co. will meet Boston in Game 2 on Sunday at TD Garden, where they will hope to tie up the series before heading home for Games 3 and 4. Tip-off for the much-awaited second skirmish is slated for 8:00 pm ET.