Kyrie Irving will be returning to Boston this week and he will likely get an earful from the fans.
Irving will be in Boston as part of the NBA Finals, playing with his Dallas Mavericks against the Celtics.
But because of his history with the Celtics, there is a good chance that he won’t be well-received.
Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla was told that Irving would likely be seen as a villain by some people in Boston and he had quite an interesting and deep response.
“Aren’t we all in someone’s eyes?” Mazzulla asked, according to Jay King.
Joe Mazzulla was told Kyrie Irving will be received as a villain back in Boston: “Aren’t we all in someone’s eyes?”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 31, 2024
Boston fans have held a grudge against Irving for years and they aren’t remotely close to letting it go.
He spent two seasons playing for the Celtics but they ended with him requesting a trade and speaking poorly about the team’s fanbase.
The break-up between Irving and the Celtics was definitely ugly and it left a bad taste in the mouths of many.
Things only got worse when Irving was caught on camera rubbing his sneakers on the team’s mid-court logo.
Taken together, this all painted a bad picture of Irving and Celtics fans have repeatedly let him know their opinions.
He has been booed multiple times and will likely hear it again this week when the Finals get started.
Will any of this have an impact on Irving?
What sort of performances will he give now that he will be back in Boston for the start of the championship series?
Obviously, Boston fans are hoping that he doesn’t produce much and looks like a complete mess.
But if he is playing well, he will be even more of a villain than he already is.
