Kyrie Irving Speaks Out After Being Booed: 'Sports Entertainment Matters More Than Someone's Mental Health'
Irving took to IG to let his thoughts be known after Celtics fans chanted "Kyrie sucks" during a game against the Nets.
Shortly after Celtics fans chanted "Kyrie sucks" during their home against the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving took to IG to post a lengthy note about the media, mental health, basketball, and more. The former Celtics player, who's out with a shoulder injury, wasn't even at the game.
“Kyrie Sucks” chants at the TD Garden pic.twitter.com/iN0nOAxodE
But that wasn't all. Fliers calling Irving a "coward" were plastered near Boston's TD Garden.
These Kyrie Irving fliers are posted across the street from TD Garden in Boston. He will not play tonight for the Nets against the Celtics. (via @malika_andrews) pic.twitter.com/gNjtL81tGf
"It happens all the time and Tonight just shows how Sports/Entertainment will always be ignorant and obtrusive," Irving said in his IG post. "It's one big SHOW that means Very VERY little in the real world that most people live in because there are Actually things that matter going on within it. Like figuring out a life that means more than a damn ball going into a hoop, or learning how to grow up being in a fish bowl of a society based on your popularity level as a person, or even dealing with becoming the leader of your family after someone's passing and not knowing how to deal with life after it happens."
Back in 2018, Irving said he was planning on sticking with the Celtics. "If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here," he said at the time. He eventually ended up signing with Brooklyn in July of 2019 during free agency.
Check out Irving's full message below.
Kyrie posted this message after missing the Nets-Celtics game Wednesday night. (via @KyrieIrving) pic.twitter.com/uRq6ZML6cu
Irving's teammate Kevin Durant took to Twitter to respond to it all while Jarrett Allen said "it probably would've been 10 times worse" if Irving was in attendance.
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The Celtics ended up winning against the Nets. The final score was 121-110.