What happened with Kyrie Irving in Boston and why don't Celtics fans like him?
BOSTON – Kyrie Irving is coming back to Boston for the NBA Finals. He and the Dallas Mavericks are now the only thing standing between the Celtics and their 18th title.
There's no question Irving will be the "bad guy" in this series for Celtics fans. Here's a look at his history with the Celtics from good to bad.
Kyrie Irving traded to Celtics
In August 2017, the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers officially announced the blockbuster trade sending Irving to Boston in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and two draft picks.
The trade was briefly in jeopardy due to Thomas' injured hip, but the Celtics added a second-round pick to complete the deal.
Eastern Conference Finals Game 7
In the 2017-18 season, the Celtics made it all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, thanks to Irving's contributions in the regular season and a stellar rookie season from Jayson Tatum.
But by the time the playoffs rolled around, Irving was out with a knee injury. He had surgery in March 2018 and was unable to make it back in time as the Celtics came up a game short of the NBA Finals. LeBron James' Cavaliers narrowly defeated Boston in the deciding game.
"I plan on re-signing here"
Leading into the 2018-19 season, Irving took the microphone during a season-ticket holder event at TD Garden. He told Celtics fans that, while he wasn't eligible to sign an extension until the offseason, he was committed to staying in Boston.
"If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here," he told the cheering crowd.
All-Star Game meeting with Kevin Durant
Irving's tone quickly changed. By February 2019, he was struggling as a leader with the Celtics, and was asked if he still planned to return.
"I don't owe anybody s---," Irving said, adding "ask me July 1st."
During the NBA All-Star Game, Irving was caught whispering with Kevin Durant in a hallway. Irving appeared to be telling Durant about Brooklyn having the flexibility to sign both of them to max contracts.
Irving was later asked about the exchange.
"What I do with my life is my business, so it's none of yours, it's none of anybody's. It's not anybody's business," Irving said. "It's a video of me and one of my best friends talking. And then it turns out to be a dissection of a free-agency meeting? Do you get that? Like, do you get that? And then I'm asked questions about that? That's what disconnects me from all that s---."
Despite the denials, Durant in 2020 confirmed that the meeting was exactly what it seemed.
"The All-Star game video where they caught us in the hallway. That's when it was solidified that we were going somewhere," Durant said in 2020. "They didn't know for a fact where it was, but it was somewhere."
"Who cares?"
The Celtics reached the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks as the four-seed in the Eastern Conference.
Irving struggled mightily from the field, but that didn't stop him from firing away. He shot 37 of 104 in the series, including 7 of 32 on three-pointers.
When asked if he ever been in a shooting slump as bad as the one he was in at the time, Irving's answer wasn't exactly promising.
"Yeah, who cares? Who cares?" Irving said after Game 4. "The expectations on me are going to be sky-high, and I try to utilize [the Bucks'] aggression against them and still put my teammates in great positions while still being aggressive. I'm trying to do it all. So, for me, the 22 shots, you know, I should've shot 30. I'm that great of a shooter."
Kyrie Irving signs with Nets
In July 2019, Irving made it official that he was leaving the Celtics. He joined forces with Durant with the Brooklyn Nets.
Irving signed a four-year deal worth $142 million.
Burning sage at TD Garden
Celtics fans wanted to let Irving know how they felt about him, but didn't get a chance until the 2020-21 preseason.
Irving missed his first trip to Boston in 2019 due to an injury, but fans still greeted him with explicit chants when the Nets were in town.
The December 2020 preseason game was in front of an empty arena due to the COVID pandemic. Before the game, television cameras captured Irving burning sage courtside. He later said it was to "cleanse the energy" of the arena.
Before he finally played in front of a raucous TD Garden crowd in the 2021 postseason, Irving said he hoped the fans would keep it to basketball and there would be "no belligerence or any racism going on, subtle racism, and people yelling s--t from the crowd."
Stomping on the logo
During his second game back at TD Garden, Game 4 of the 2021 postseason, a fan was arrested for allegedly throwing a drink at Irving as he left the court.
Irving also made headlines that day as he walked to midcourt and stomped on the center court Lucky The Leprechaun, scuffing his foot on the logo.
"The scorned girlfriend"
Leading up to the 2022 postseason, Irving was asked about regular chants of "Kyrie sucks" by Celtics fans.
"I know it's going to be like that the rest of my career coming in here. It's like the scorned girlfriend who wants an explanation on why I left, but still hoping for a text back," Irving said. "I'm just like, it was fun while it lasted."
Kyrie Irving flips the bird
Brooklyn and Boston met again in the 2022 playoffs. The series started with the Celtics winning Game 1 on a buzzer-beater. Irving led the way with 39 points. But Celtics fans clearly got under his skin.
Booed and jeered every time he touched the ball, Irving was caught flipping the middle finger to fans inside TD Garden several times.
"When people start yelling '[expletive]' or '[another expletive]' and '[expletive] you' and all this stuff, there's only but so much you take as a competitor," Irving said after the game. "We're the ones expected to be docile and be humble, take a humble approach. [Expletive] that, it's the playoffs. This is what it is."
Nets trade Kyrie Irving to Dallas
In February 2023, Irving was sent to the Dallas Mavericks after telling the Nets he wanted to be traded.
During his time in Brooklyn, Irving missed almost the entire 2022 home schedule after refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He was also suspended for his failure to "unequivocally say" he does not have antisemitic beliefs after posting a movie link on Twitter.
Irving, Luka Dončić lead Mavericks to NBA Finals
This year during his first full season in Dallas, Irving averaged 25.6 points and 5.2 assists per game. He's averaged 22.8 points on 48.5 percent shooting in his 17 playoff games.
Irving and Luka Dončić led Dallas to wins over the Clippers, Thunder, and Timberwolves on their way to the NBA Finals.
That sets the stage for Irving's showdown with his former team. Game 1 is Thursday night at TD Garden.
