BOSTON — Several Boston Celtics fans scattered outside of TD Garden for Game 1 of the NBA Finals hoped to antagonize Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.
Their antics included customized T-shirts, expletive-laced chants, and a blowup doll that was given Irving’s face and former jersey. It’s part of the disdain some Celtics fans feel for the point guard, who left the historic franchise after two seasons to pursue his championship aspirations in Brooklyn.
Irving, now five years removed from playing in Boston, says the “outside noise” hasn’t affected his focus on the task at hand.
“I don’t expect to be celebrated by everybody,” Irving said. “I’m going to, you know, still be aware that a lot of people want to see me fail. But again, I think I pay attention more to the way that I’m celebrated from people that love me unconditionally, and I go home and have a peace of mind.”
Irving was showered with boos throughout Thursday’s game and struggled to put the ball in the basket. He produced his second-lowest scoring output in his four Finals appearances with just 12 points. If there’s an adjustment that needs to be made by the Mavericks, it’s for Irving’s efficient offense to return.
Irving has shown several times this postseason that he is capable of a bounce-back performance. After scoring 14 points in Game 5 against the LA Clippers, he scored 30 points in Game 6 to help close out the series. A season-low nine-point effort in Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder was followed by 22 points in Game 3.
Irving said he’s looking forward to the challenge of playing better against the Celtics, but he also anticipates more interactions with the fan base.
“This is what makes sports fun,” Irving said. “This is what makes the stories fun. Getting a chance to go against a giant like this, whether it be just talking about the team or talking about the environment and the fans and how crazy it can get. This is what I imagine it being like, getting to this stage again, earning our way to be here with my teammates and being able to put our best foot forward going against the best of the best. That’s everything you dream of. Everything else is extracurricular.”
There were several extracurricular moments following Irving’s departure from Boston. He burnt sage around TD Garden to “cleanse the energy” before his first game there as a member of the Nets. He stomped on the Celtics logo, Lucky the Leprechaun, after a Game 4 win over his former team in the first round of the playoffs in 2021. As he left the court, a Celtics fan threw a water bottle that barely missed his head.
And of course, there’s the middle-finger incident.
“And I don’t forget things either,” Irving said. “Somebody threw something at me while I was here. I’ve heard it all. Nobody asked me how I felt after that and why it could be a little bit of a traumatic response when I’m back in this environment after somebody does something like that.”
Irving’s admitted, several times, to his shortcomings from his time with the Celtics, and despite the boos he’s gained the perspective that vitriol isn’t the only emotion he receives while in Boston.
“You know, thinking about my time in Boston, I could go down a myriad of things that none of you in here know that I was dealing with, and I don’t think a lot of people would care,” Irving said. “I think a few people would care and want to hear about it, and I would leave that space open in the future if you ever want to hear about it.
“But putting into perspective the blowup dolls and remarks that are getting said, that’s basketball. When I leave out of here and I walk around Boston, I don’t hear a lot of the things that I hear when I’m playing on the court. There’s a lot of mutual respect. There’s a lot of eye-to-eye communication that’s built on just being human, and they appreciate the things I do off the floor, as well.”
The Mavericks, who trail in the Finals after dropping Thursday’s game, are a part of that select group who embrace Irving for who he is on the basketball court and away from it. Luka Doncic led the way in Game 1 with 30 points and 10 rebounds, but was limited to just one assist. He admitted that communication between the two will need to improve going forward.
“We talk about [the crowd], but we’ve just got to stay together,” Luka Doncic said. “I think we’ve got to talk more on the court than we did in Game 1. So that’s got to be better from my side, too.”
Some may consider the banter between fan and player simply part of playing against your former team. Irving seems to embrace the moment, which might be required in order to play through the noise.
“So this is fun for me, man. This is healthy,” Irving said. “I’m glad that I can be up here on this stage speaking authentically and then also go home and be at peace.”
Night and day difference
Here’s a look at the statistical improvements Kyrie Irving has displayed after an off night throughout the Mavericks’ playoff run.
First round vs. LAC
Game 5: 14 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Went 6-for-14 from the field and 1-for-7 from 3-point range.
Game 6: 30 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds. Went 11-of-19 from the field and 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
Western Conference semis vs. OKC
Game 2: 9 points, 11 assists and 3 rebounds. Went 2-for-8 from the field and 0-for-2 from 3-point range.
Game 3: 22 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Went 10-for-17 from the field and 2-for-6 from 3-point range.
Western Conference finals vs. MIN
Game 4: 16 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds. Went 6-for-18 from the field and 1-for-6 from 3-point range.
Game 5: 36 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Went 14-for-27 from the field and 4-for-10 from 3-point range.
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