Kyrie admits this TD Garden moment ‘wasn’t a true reflection’ of herself and originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Kyrie Irving knows what to expect every time he steps onto the TD Garden court in the NBA Finals. The boos will be the loudest since the star point guard left the Boston Celtics in 2019 and became perhaps the city’s biggest sports villain.
Now with the Dallas Mavericks, Irving promises to handle the hostile environment better than in years past.
The most notable example of Irving pandering to the Garden crowd came in Game 1 of the 2022 first-round series between the C’s and Brooklyn Nets. The eight-time All-Star gave the middle finger to the fans twice during the game.
Monday, Irving expressed regret for that incident.
“I don’t think the last time in Boston was the best – not this regular season, but when we were in the playoffs and everyone saw me knocking out the birds and losing my s– a little bit. It wasn’t a good reflection of who who I am and how I like to compete at a high level,” Irving told reporters. “It wasn’t a good reflection on my part to the next generation about what it means to keep your emotions in check in that kind of environment, regardless of what people are yelling at you.
“I was built for these moments, to deal with such circumstances, and I’ve been able to grow since then. So of course it’s going to be a hectic environment, but I’m looking forward to it and I see it as a healthy relationship with the fans. “
Irving knows the only way to silence the Garden audience is to let his play speak for itself.
“I almost think Gladiator won over the audience,” he added. “It’s good to hear the TD Garden shut up when you’re playing well. They still respect great basketball. So regardless of the attention paid to what it’s going to be like on my side, I have a group to lead that looks at me for a voice of peace and to be able to control what I can control and help them through it too.
“So I’m going to take the brunt of it, all the yelling and stuff and all the comments, but I’ve been able to grow since then and recognize that I can just handle things better, especially when I want to do things better. I can spend most of my energy on playing well. I can’t just do it, even though it’s fun sometimes. But it’s a waste of my time and a waste of my talent of people to answer.”
The 2024 NBA Finals will mark Irving’s third playoff series against Boston since leaving the C’s. If Irving can keep his emotions in check in this series, it will be a first. Before that middle finger incident in 2022, he infamously stomped on the Celtics’ logo at center field during the 2021 Celtics-Nets playoff series. Another dramatic Kyrie-related moment at TD Garden feels inevitable.
The fun starts Thursday in Boston with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 PM ET. Coverage begins on NBC Sports Boston with Celtics Pregame Live at 7:30 p.m
