Kyrie Irving says he's keeping 'same energy' as fans with middle fingers to Boston Celtics crowd

BOSTON — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving said he was responding to words he heard from the crowd when he flipped off several Boston Celtics fans on two separate occasions during Sunday's 115-114 loss in Game 1.

After the game, Irving made it clear that he would have «the same energy for them» that they had for him.

«Look, where I'm from, I'm used to all these antics and people being close nearby,» Irving said after scoring a team-high 39 points in 42 minutes. «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. 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."

Irving, who played for Boston for two seasons from 2017-19, said he has gotten used to getting booed by Celtics fans since leaving the organization after the '18-19 season. Irving has dealt with even more ire from the fan base after several recent exchanges over the last couple years.

Prior to the '18-19 season, Irving said he wanted to sign long-term with the Celtics, only to change course at the end of the season and leave for the Nets. Last season, Irving stepped on the Celtics logo at center court after Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Celtics and then had a water bottle thrown at him by a person in the crowd as he made his way off the floor.

In the week leading up to that game, Irving also said there was «subtle racism» from the crowd at times,