As the Nets and Boston Celtics squared off for Game 3 of their first round series, all eyes were on Kyrie Irving to see what kind of reaction he’d get from the Boston crowd.
Irving, who played with the Celtics for two seasons, was booed as he came out for warmups, was booed when the starting lineup was introduced, and heard more boos when he touched the ball to start the game.
Following the Nets’ Game 2 win, Irving was asked about going back to Boston, saying that he hoped the crowd’s jeers would stick to “strictly basketball” and not “subtle racism.”
“It’s not my first time being an opponent in Boston, so I’m just looking forward to competing with my teammates, and hopefully we can just keep it strictly basketball, there’s no belligerence or any racism going on, subtle racism and people yelling s—t from the crowd,” Irving said after Game 2.