NBA
Why do Celtics fans hate Kyrie? The beef between Irving and the Celtics explained
The current Dallas Mavericks point guard will likely be remembered as one of the most disliked players in the Boston franchise history.
In 2017, Kyrie Irving’s trade to the Boston Celtics was hailed as a rebirth for the star guard. Leaving the shadow of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving was poised to lead an up-and-coming Celtics team.
The roster was brimming with talent, featuring young stars Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, the number one overall pick Jayson Tatum and newly signed Gordon Hayward. Expectations soared as this lineup seemed destined to challenge for NBA supremacy.
Disappointing Boston years
However, the reality proved far more humbling. The 2017 season began with a devastating blow as Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome ankle injury in the season opener, sidelining him for the year. Despite this setback, Irving and the young Celtics secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a 55-27 record. Their talent shone through in the playoffs, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals and pushing LeBron James and the Cavaliers to a hard-fought seven games.
As the 2018 season dawned, hopes were high with Irving and Hayward’s return. Yet, the anticipated chemistry never materialized. The Celtics finished fourth in the standings with a 49-33 record, struggling with inconsistency and cohesion. Despite sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, the team’s lack of unity was exposed in the second round against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Irving’s departure to Brooklyn and “backstabbing” his team
Kyrie Irving’s performance in that series was notably poor. He shot just 21% from three-point range and 35% from the floor, averaging a disappointing 20 points per game. Critics and fans alike accused Irving of quitting his team as soon as adversity struck, a sentiment aggravated by his decision to leave the Celtics after the season. This departure stung particularly hard for Boston fans, who remembered Irving’s promise to re-sign with the team if they would have him. Instead, he joined forces with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, a move that had reportedly been planned as early as December 2018.
The fallout from Irving’s departure left a lasting impact. Boston fans felt betrayed, believing Irving had manipulated and misled them. His subsequent comments, suggesting that any animosity towards him was racially motivated, further inflamed tensions. For Celtics fans, their ire was rooted in perceived dishonesty and a sense of abandonment, not race.
Destroyed Celtics’ legacy forever
This tumultuous period culminates in a bitter reception whenever Irving returns to Boston. Despite his enormous talent and occasional brilliance on the court, fans will remember his tenure with the Celtics more for its unfulfilled potential and the contentious departure that followed.
The saga of Kyrie Irving in Boston remains a complex chapter in both his career and the Celtics’ history. It will continue in this year’s NBA Finals, where Celtics are facing Irving’s Dallas Mavericks.