Kyrie Irving on Booing Celtics Fans: ‘It’s Like the Scorned Girlfriend’

After his team’s 126–120 loss to the Celtics on Sunday, Kyrie Irving took a shot at the fans of his former team. 

During the game against Boston, the team Irving left in 2019, fans at TD Garden booed their former star player. After the game, Irving addressed the boos. 

“I know it’s gonna be like that for the rest of my career coming in here,” Irving said. “It’s like the scorned girlfriend—just wants an explanation on why I left or still hoping for a text back. It’s fun while it lasted. That’s the relationship that makes it fun.”

Irving then followed up by saying he respects the Celtics as an organization and was grateful for his time there. He spent just two seasons in Boston after leaving Cleveland in 2017. Irving eventually left to join the Nets in free agency after that. 

Irving capped off his postgame answer by saying he needs to “not have too many conversations with the fans on the side when they call me out [by] name.” Irving was fined $25,000 in January for cursing during an exchange with a fan against the Cavaliers, another former team. Irving finished the loss with 19 points and six assists. 

The seven-time All Star is still not allowed to play in home games due to his vaccination status.