Durant on Celtics fans booing Kyrie: 'It's rooted in love'

Apr 12, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks on during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant on Celtics fans booing Kyrie Irving: 'It's rooted in love'

By Adam Stites | Last updated 4/19/22

During a Game 1 loss on Sunday, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving couldn't help but respond to the boos, taunts, and insults of Boston Celtics fans.

On Tuesday, Irving was given a $50,000 fine from the NBA for "obscene gestures and profane language" directed at the Boston crowd.

Irving, 30, played two seasons with the Celtics and described the fans in Boston as a "scorned girlfriend" after a game in March. His Nets teammate Kevin Durant offered a similar explanation Tuesday.

Kevin Durant on Celtics fans’ hostility toward Kyrie Irving: “It’s rooted in love. They once loved you…had life altering experiences coming to games watching you play. So when it gets ripped from them in a trade…it feels like a piece of them is gone too.” pic.twitter.com/P1b6jNnrDq
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) April 19, 2022

"It's rooted in love," Durant told reporters, via Jared Weiss of The Athletic. "They once loved you; they once cheered for you; they bought your merchandise. They had life-altering experiences coming to games and watching you play.

"When that kinda gets ripped from them with something like a trade, or demanding a trade, or wanting to leave, they feel like a piece of them is gone too. There's an emotional attachment to professional sports."

Irving finished the 115-114 loss with 39 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Game 2 is set for Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET.

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