Inside Kyrie Irving's BITTER Boston Celtics rivalry - from racism claims, flipping off supporters and stomping on the logo - as he bids to beat them in the NBA Finals with Dallas Mavericks

A once-promising union that has given way to five years of bitterness, Kyrie Irving's brief, rocky tenure with the Boston Celtics has dominated the spotlight heading into Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

The Dallas Mavericks guard has done his best to downplay the friction, saying Wednesday that 'the fans are going to say what they're going to say, and I appreciate them.'

But Irving's benevolent turn might ring hollow to Celtics fans, who remain sour over his infamous 2019 defection to the Brooklyn Nets. Since then, he's likened the Boston faithful to a 'scorned girlfriend,' accused the fans of 'subtle racism,' burnt sage at the city's TD Garden to 'cleanse the energy' in the arena, stomped on the Celtics' mid-court logo, and famously flipped off the raucous crowd during last year's playoffs.

Now in his first full season with the Mavs, Irving says he regrets the obscene hand gesture: 'When we played in the playoffs and everyone saw me flip off the birds and kind of lose my s*** a little bit, that wasn't a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete on a high level.'

But to Celtics fans, the moment was rewarding: The man who broke his promise to stay in Beantown in 2019 was clearly rattled, and by responding with an obscene hand gesture, he gave Bostonians ample motivation to continue the abuse throughout the upcoming Finals. 

Of course, things weren't always so rocky for Irving in the Massachusetts capital, where his father, Drederick, once played college ball for coach Mike Jarvis at Boston University. 

Irving arrived in a 2017 trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the initial returns were promising.

Despite a season-ending injury to All-Star acquisition Gordon Hayward in the opener, the young Celtics overachieved in 2017-18 by finishing with the East's second-best record. 

They would ultimately fall to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the conference finals as Irving sat with knee problems, but the All-Star was nonetheless embraced in Boston. One fan had the All-Star's likeness shaved into the back of his head. Others pleaded for Irving's discarded wrist bands and sneakers after games, while a few had their clothing personally autographed by the former Duke star. 

And when Irving dismissed talk of his impending free agency at the onset of the 2018-19 season, instead predicting a long-term deal for himself in Boston, Celtics fans were positively overjoyed.  

'Obviously, a lot of great players have come before me, but to grow my name in Boston Celtics tradition and history is something I'm glad I can do, and I plan on,' Irving told reporters.

'I do not want to uproot my family and just be dealing with anything new again,' he continued. 'No disrespect to other organizations, but here is perfect for me.'

Unfortunately, things began to unravel for Irving in 2018-19 as the Celtics fell to fourth in the East before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the playoffs.

Worst of all, Irving was dismal in the fifth and final game, making just 6 of 21 field goals for 15 points, while finishing with a -25 plus-minus rating for the night.

As it turns out, Irving's tenure in Boston had been worsening for months.  

Although it wasn't known at the time, he'd been the subject of 2019 trade talks between the Celtics and rival New York Knicks, according to a recent report by Yahoo! Sports. The deal was never completed, but Irving was reportedly offered to New York in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis, the versatile 7-foot-3 center who was ultimately sent to Dallas and now starts for Boston. 

Whether Irving knew of the trade talks remains a mystery, but by the summer of 2019 he was reportedly looking to leave the Celtics in an effort to join friends Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan in Brooklyn. Soon thereafter, Irving confirmed his defection in early July by signing a four-year, $141million deal with the Nets.

Dejected Celtics fans responded by burning Irving jerseys on social media, but Boston's animosity towards the mercurial point guard didn't stop there. In the coming seasons with the Nets, Irving would be booed mercilessly by Celtics fans every time he touched the ball in Boston. 

Then, in June of 2021, a Celtics fan was arrested and ordered to stay away from the city's TD Garden after throwing a water bottle at Irving during a playoff game.

The hectic scene was eerily reminiscent of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals, when Celtics focused their intense hatred New Jersey Nets All-Star Jason Kidd and his family. 

'You have to win with class and lose with class, and hopefully somebody will learn that,' Kidd, now the Mavericks head coach, said at the time. 'They have the right to cheer and boo. But there also is a fine line. You don't jeopardize anybody's family and friends in that sense of doing something ridiculous.'

Of course, Kidd never accused Boston of 'subtle racism' as Irving has. Nor did he anger fans by stomping across the Celtics logo during the 2021 postseason. 

Irving, on the other hand, seemed to take pride in provoking the TD Garden crowd.  

'I know what to expect in here,' Irving said after a 2021 playoff game against Boston. 'And it's the same energy I'm giving back to them.'

Irving and the Nets got the best of the Celtics in 2021, but it was Boston that swept Brooklyn in the first round of the 2022 postseason as Irving was reduced to flipping off the crowd at TD Garden.

In one instance, Irving celebrated a made 3-pointer by flipping off fans on his way down the court. Later, before an inbounds pass, Irving flashed both middle fingers to the crowd behind his head.

And when one Celtics fan yelled 'Kyrie, you suck' as the Nets guard walked to the locker room, Irving snapped back, 'suck my d***, b****,' as seen on a viral TikTok video.

He later described the incidents as part of a tit-for-tat exchange with fans.

'Look, where I'm from, I'm used to all these antics and people being close nearby,' the New Jersey native said after pouring in a team-high 39 points in the Game 1 loss. 'It's nothing new when I come into this building what it's going to be like -- but it's the same energy they have for me, I'm going to have the same energy for them.

'And it's not every fan, I don't want to attack every fan, every Boston fan,' Irving continued. 'When people start yelling ''p****' or ''b****'' and ''f*** you'' and all this stuff, there's only but so much you take as a competitor. We're the ones expected to be docile and be humble, take a humble approach, f*** that, it's the playoffs. This is what it is.'

Interestingly, Irving still has a good relationship with former Celtics teammates like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, whom he described as 'very special people' during a friendly exchange with reporters this week. 

He's also rejuvenated his career alongside Mavs star Luka Doncic, who has praised Irving as both a teammate and a leader. 

But for all of the sudden positivity in Irving's life, he is just 1-10 against the Celtics since stomping on the team's logo in May of 2021. 

Any perceived frustration on Irving's part this series will only serve as encouragement for Celtics fans hoping for a record 18th NBA crown. 

And if Irving is going to have any chance at winning his second title, he's likely going to have to be the bigger person. 

'You just got to breathe through it,' Irving said earlier this week. 'To all my youngins out there that are dealing with some of the crowd reactions, what they're saying to you, you have to breathe, realize that is not as hostile as you think it is. Don't overthink it.

'Been able to work through that and understand that some of that is anxiety, some of that is nervousness,' he continued. 'It could all be turned into a strength. There's no fear out here, man.'

Above all, Irving believes it's he - and not the crowd - who will make the difference.  

'It's about the players at the end of the day.'