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Shaquille O'Neal expected the series between the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics to begin as anticipated, with Kyrie Irving mercilessly heckled by the TD Garden crowd.
There’s no love lost between the former Celtic and the rabid fans who used to adore the mercurial point guard back in his tenure with the Cs.
Irving went after most fans tonight and vowed, in a postgame interview, to continue the same energy throughout the series.
O'Neal, Charles Barkley and the rest of the NBA on TNT crew had something emphatic to say about Irving’s defiant comments:
“I don’t really wanna hear all that [Irving whining]. Certain cities, they don’t care what you say at press conferences. You know what’s gonna happen in Game 2? They’re gonna be talking more smack up there in Boston.
Listen, it’s happened to the best of us. You don’t think people said stuff to Charles Barkley, said stuff to Hakeem Olajuwon, myself? Man up!”
Barkley’s reply to O'Neal only consolidated their thoughts and feelings on the issue:
“Most of the fans are amazing. Some of them are gonna say some rude stuff. Please stop it, you athletes today, whining like little girls. Come on, man! Come on.”
Since rejecting the Celtics to form a superteam with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, “Kai” has become a marked man in Boston.
Irving’s controversial comments about Celtics fans over the years have made him even more of a villain. The boisterous crowd brought a WWE vibe to the game and relished every chance to boo, heckle, and ridicule “Uncle Drew.”
At one point, the Boston faithful almost blew the roof off of the TD Garden with lustful chants of “Kyrie s**ks!”.
Last year in the postseason, a fan was escorted by security out of the Boston Celtics’ home arena after throwing a bottle at Irving.
O'Neal played with the Celtics in his last NBA season, so he knows what he’s talking about.
If the heckling and Irving’s post-game comments are any indication, Irving vs. Celtics fans' undercard will only get more contentious before the series is over.
Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving puts in impressive performance against Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving’s basketball skills have never been questioned. Most NBA players and fans were even shocked by his exclusion from the league’s 75th Anniversary team. The 29-year-old point guard showed what he's made of in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game.
Even with the leading Defensive Player of the Year candidate Marcus Smart shadowing him, Irving still scored 39 points. 18 of those points came in the pivotal quarter.
The former Duke standout ate and spat up the NBA’s best defense and almost dragged the Brooklyn Nets to victory.
O’Neal and Barkley want Irving to just let his play do the talking. If he plays to his abilities, he might just be able to shut Celtics fans up when the series ends.
Guess the Lakers players!
