Celtics' Thompson heard racist comments in Boston as opponent

Boston Celtics center Tristan Thompson (13) gets defended by Detroit Pistons center Mason Plumlee (24) during the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics' Tristan Thompson heard racist comments in Boston as opposing player

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 5/28/21

Boston Celtics veteran big man Tristan Thompson said Friday that he heard racist comments directed toward him from the T.D. Garden crowd during his time as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Per The Athletic's Jared Weiss:

Tristan Thompson: "My experience being a Celtic, nobody has said anything racial to me. But as a visitor, it's a different story. If they say anything like that, it comes from their home training, or lack of home training as my mother would say."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 28, 2021

He elaborated:

Asked Thompson to elaborate & if the team/league needs to do more to stop this: "There are certain cities that you can expect some racial slurs around the third quarter once someone has enough beers & they know that they’re far enough from us where we can’t do nothing to them." https://t.co/CbkSwXuN9x pic.twitter.com/tsv72MQFVU
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 28, 2021

Thompson's comments come after Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving said this week that he was hopeful Celtics fans wouldn't direct any "subtle racism" toward him in Games 3 and 4 of the team's first-round series in Boston.

Celtics guard Marcus Smart backed Irving, his former teammate, on Thursday, saying he's heard racist remarks from the T.D. Garden crowd in the past.

"Yeah, I've heard it," Smart said. "I've heard a couple of things. It's hard to hear that and then have them support us as players. It's kind of sad and sickening."

The NBA has seen a rise in disrespectful fan behavior over the past week. A Philadelphia 76ers fan had his season tickets revoked and was suspended from attending any events at the Wells Fargo Center after dumping popcorn on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook.

In a similar situation, a New York Knicks fan was banned after he spat on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young at Madison Square Garden.

More recently, three Utah Jazz fans were banned after heckling and directing racist language toward the family of Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant at Vivint Arena.

As a result of the behavior, the NBA released a statement saying it will begin enforcing an "enhanced code of conduct" during the playoffs now that fans are back in arenas.

Game 3 between the Celtics and Nets is scheduled for Friday night and Game 4 is set for Sunday.

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