It is no secret that Boston fans do not like Kyrie Irving, and the feeling is mutual for the former Celtics All-Star. The hatred the two parties have for one another is likely to last well beyond Irving’s playing days.
Irving just changed his Instagram profile picture to a photo of himself standing on the Boston Celtics logo. At first, it is hard to tell, but anyone familiar with their history can recognize this as a subtle shot at the franchise.
The now Dallas Mavericks guard recently said, “Blood is definitely in the water” when talking about this past season’s finals matchup between his current and former teams.
It is hard to blame either side for not liking each other. Irving went back and forth on his commitment to the team, and fans have been hostile toward the star player ever since his departure. They got off on the wrong foot when the Boston faithful questioned his greatness compared to Isaiah Thomas, and Irving burned the bridge on his way out, jumping ship to Brooklyn.
After the breakup, Celtics’ fans chanted, “Kyrie sucks,” booed him continuously and have even thrown a water bottle at him. Irving has stomped on their logo, flipped them off during a game, burned sage at the TD Garden, and has called them out for “subtle racism.”
It is safe to say Boston currently has the last laugh by beating him in the NBA Finals, but the loss will undoubtedly fuel Irving to be better the next time around. Rivalries are an important part of sports, and there is no greater one currently in the NBA than Kyrie Irving versus the Boston Celtics.
