The Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA Finals win not only featured a dominant on-court performance but also some revenge against former star player Kyrie Irving, who left the franchise in free agency in 2019 and has consistently criticized Boston fans in the years since.
During the Celtics’ closeout win in Game 5, ESPN announcer Mike Breen reported on an ugly interaction between Irving and a fan in the TD Garden stands.
Mike Breen details Kyrie Irving’s run-in with a fan in the TD Garden crowd after taking a tumble into the ABC broadcast table:
“Irving was upset … somebody said something to him, inappropriate while the guy’s down on the floor, which was a disgrace.” pic.twitter.com/HN0RmVTBKz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 18, 2024
Breen elaborated on the incident during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday morning, revealing he did not hear precisely what the fan said to Irving after he cascaded into the broadcast table chasing a loose ball, but could tell it crossed a line for the now-Dallas Mavericks point guard.
“He came crashing in … and when he bounced off him, he was on his back, and there’s like a two-tier area behind our table. He was having trouble getting up, it’s so tight right there, he couldn’t get up,” Breen said. “Then all of a sudden, I didn’t hear the specific words, somebody yelled something disparaging to him. And as he’s getting up, he stopped and he looked back at the person, and he’s like, ‘Really?’ But he didn’t use those words. And he said, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ And it’s just so distasteful, here’s a guy who could be really hurt, trying to get up, and that’s what somebody takes the opportunity to say?”
Breen made it clear he did not see any further incidents from the Boston faithful during Game 5.
“It’s one of my favorite arenas, and the fans are a big part of it, but there’s always somebody that’s willing to do something like that,” Breen said.
Irving previously called out Celtics fans for “subtle racism” and “yelling s*** from the stands.” ESPN cameras caught Irving looking toward the crowd after leaving the area near Breen and Co., clearly bothered by the interaction.
It was seemingly another ugly mark on Irving’s relationship with the city.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.