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5 months ago
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A blow-up doll with Kyrie Irving's face on it was stomped by Celtics fans as they gave a frosty reception to their former point guard on Thursday night.
Boston fans and Irving have had an especially strained relationship since he left the city after two ill-fated seasons with the Celtics.
And he was given an unsurprisingly frosty reception as he returned on Thursday night, with his Dallas Mavericks facing the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Video from WFAA sports anchor Mike Leslie from before the game showed Boston fans parading a blow-up doll with Irving's face on it as they chanted 'f*** Kyrie!'
And things ratcheted up after Boston's 107-89 win as fans stomped on the doll - which also had an Irving Boston jersey on - and continued to curse his name.
A blow-up doll with Kyrie Irving's face and number were brought to Game 1 of the NBA Finals
And fans flung it around and stomped on it after the Celtics beat the Mavericks at home
Irving finished the game with just 12 points on 6-19 shooting.
He said after the game that the Boston fans' heckling was not the reason for he and his teammates playing poorly.
'It´s not the booing. It´s not the missed shots,' he said. 'It´s more or less just our attitude and how we approach it,' Irving said. 'I haven´t had the best games offensively this playoff run. ... Now it´s our turn to go through it together. And that´s what makes it exciting.'
Following his Celtics' exit, Irving went to the Nets where he quickly embraced his role as a Boston villain.
On one occasion, he gave two middle fingers to Boston fans behind his back.
Irving has received a frosty reception from Boston fans upon his return to the city
Irving struggled in Game 1 as he scored just 12 points on 6-19 shooting at the TD Garden
On another - after the Nets took a pivotal 3-1 series lead after a Game 4 playoff - he appeared to deliberately step on Boston's 'Lucky the Leprechaun' logo.
Going back to his time with Brooklyn - including a first-round sweep in 2022 - Irving has now lost to the Celtics 11 straight times.
'It´s not the first time I´ve lost in Boston,' he said afterwards. I don´t want to continue to make it a habit,' Irving said. 'They have had my number a little bit.'
'Being in this environment, I´m used to it at this point. Over the past few years in the playoffs here, regular season, it´s been the same thing. I thought I was going to be a little louder in here. But I´m expecting the same things. Going to Game 2, crowd trying to get me out of my element.
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