Kyrie Irving hopes return to Boston won't include 'racism'

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts during the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Nets star Kyrie Irving hopes return to Boston won't include 'belligerence or racism' from fans

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 5/26/21

After his Brooklyn Nets took a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics with a 130-108 win on Tuesday, Kyrie Irving contemplated the reception he'd receive upon his impending return to T.D. Garden.

The 29-year-old said he hopes "we can just keep it strictly basketball" as he discussed racist comments he's allegedly received from the Boston crowd in the past.

Kyrie Irving discusses returning to Boston for the first time in front of a crowd since his departure from the Celtics:

"Hopefully we can just keep it strictly basketball. There's no belligerence or any racism going on, subtle racism or people yelling s--- from the crowd" pic.twitter.com/Cm4jk0ZDOQ
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) May 26, 2021

Irving isn't the first athlete to discuss racist comments he's received while playing in Boston. Bill Russell, who won 11 NBA titles with the Celtics, once called Boston "a flea market of racism" in his 1979 memoir, "Second Wind."

"It had all varieties, old and new, and in their most virulent form," Russell wrote. "The city had corrupt, city hall-crony racists, brick-throwing, send-’em-back-to-Africa racists, and in the university areas phony radical-chic racists. . . . Other than that, I liked the city."

More recently, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said he was called the N-word several times by Boston Red Sox fans in 2017. He said one fan even threw a bag of peanuts at him.

Irving played for the Celtics from 2017-19. He once told the Boston crowd that he intended to re-sign with the Celtics once his contract was up, but then left for the Nets in free agency, causing fans of The Green to shower him with hate any chance they got.

Since signing with the Nets, Irving has returned to play in T.D. Garden twice. In both of those instances, the NBA was not permitting fans into the arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This time, the Celtics will have 25% of their 19,580 capacity for Game 3. T.D. Garden will be near full capacity for Game 4 on Sunday.

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