Kristaps Porzingis, once revered by New York Knicks fans, was heavily booed Saturday in his return to Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y.
The jeers began as soon as Porzingis was introduced as part of the Celtics starting lineup.
The Latvian center shrugged off the hecklers and turned in a strong performance in the Celtics’ 116-102 win over the Knicks. Porzingis was the Celtics’ second-leading scorer with 22 points on 7/11 shooting. He also tallied 4 rebounds and 4 assists against his former team.
Instead of getting consumed by the animosity, Porzingis admitted that he now revels in the boos. The Celtics star spoke openly during Saturday’s postgame press conference about receiving hate from the fans who once adored him.
“I enjoy it, to be honest. [The boos] went down during my years in Washington. … I feel like they’ve ramped up again a little bit, me being on the Celtics and having this kind of rivalry with the Knicks.
Porzingis added that he prefers any sort of emotional reaction over indifference. He’d rather hear something — boos or cheers — rather than be ignored by whichever fan base packs the stands to watch Porzingis and the Celtics play.
The one-time All-Star has had a strong first season with the Celtics. In 42 games played thus far, Porzingis has averaged 20.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and a career-high 52.7% field goal shooting clip.
The Knicks and Celtics could very well face off in the playoffs based on where they both are in the standings. If the postseason matchup does come to fruition, the boos directed at Porzingis will likely become deafening.
H/T Bleacher Report
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