Kyrie Irving Fined $50K for Flipping the Bird, Cursing at Celtics Fans

The NBA said the Nets star was “making obscene gestures” and “directing profane language toward the spectator stands.”

The NBA announced it fined Nets guard Kyrie Irving $50,000 for “making obscene gestures” and “directing profane language toward the spectator stands” during his team’s Game 1 loss against the Celtics in Boston on Sunday. 

Full statement from the league sanctions the Nets’ Irving “for making obscene gestures on the playing court and directing profane language toward the spectator stands” during Sunday’s Game 1 in Boston. https://t.co/PnSPLSdRpL pic.twitter.com/w8ueCBjZVY

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 19, 2022

At halftime of the game, Irving he was caught on video telling a fan “suck my d--- b----.” And in the second half, there were multiple instances where Irving could be seen flipping his middle finger to Celtics fans. 

pic.twitter.com/FCw7E0BTGs

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 17, 2022

“You guys like my haircut??” https://t.co/7KxvLkxmcc

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) April 17, 2022

After the game, Irving addressed the interactions with fans and didn’t show any remorse over his actions. He played for the Celtics from 2017 to ’19, but joined the Nets in free agency in the summer of ’19.

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“I’mma have the same energy for them,” he said. “And it’s not every fan, I don’t wanna attack every fan, every Boston fan. When people start yelling p---- or b---- and f--- you and all this stuff, [there’s] just so much you can take.”

"So if somebody is gonna call me outta my name, I'm gonna look at them straight in the eye and see if they're really bout it. Most of the time, they're not."

–– Kyrie Irving on his interactions with Celtics fanspic.twitter.com/bRMGKnLZj0

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 17, 2022

During a back-and-forth with a reporter, Irving also admitted that this is something he’s done in the past. He refused to label the environment as hostile, and when the reporter said this is the first time Irving has flipped off fans during a game, the star guard said, “This the first time you actually caught it because it’s a big-time game.”

Kyrie Irving on the energy from Celtics fans:

"Embrace it. It's the dark side. Embrace it." pic.twitter.com/XKIwCyqSj1

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) April 17, 2022

The 30-year-old got in trouble with the NBA under very similar circumstances earlier in the season when playing against another former team of his. Irving was fined $25,000 in January after he was recorded telling a Cavaliers fan, “Got y’all a championship, mother------s, still ungrateful.”

Game 2 at TD Garden is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off on Wednesday. 

• Inside The Celtics: The Top 5 Plays from Game 1 Between the Celtics and Nets 

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