Kyrie Irving Reacts to Celtics Fan Booing Him During Mavs Loss: 'Give Them Credit'

Mavs superstar Kyrie Irving spoke to reporters after the team's loss against the Celtics, which featured frequent booing from the TD Garden crowd.

BOSTON — During the Dallas Mavericks' 138-110 loss against the Boston Celtics on Friday night, Kyrie Irving was met with a clear and resonant message from the TD Garden crowd, with boos during starting lineup introductions and when he had the ball, along with loud chants of "Kyrie sucks" in the second half. 

"They have a right to boo. From my career record against them in the last few games, I haven’t won, so until I beat them, they have all the right to continue to boo," Irving said. "I think that’s what makes the theatrics of sports and competitive sports fun. Just have to embrace it. It’s part of it."

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Irving, whose tenure with Boston from 2017 to 2019 ended on a turbulent note, responded to the hostile reception with understanding, acknowledging the fans' right to express dissatisfaction.

"Nah, the booing is part of it, man," Irving said. "Again, I have dealt with Boston fans prior to me even coming here. I wouldn't say that I've exited them a few times, but early in my career, we used to come up to Boston and smack them around. I've had both sides of the coin now, and I've accepted that that's what comes with the competitive side.

"I've had both sides, sending Boston fans home and also them booing me all the time and then seeing the way they treat some of the star players in the league," Irving continued. "I mean, they want to win. So you got to give them credit."

This response signifies a notable shift in Irving's perspective towards the fans in Boston, a group he has previously antagonized, especially following an incident where he stomped on the Celtics logo after a playoff game in May 2021 at TD Garden.

After experiencing a challenging game on Friday, Irving took to X (previously known as Twitter) to share his thoughts, emphasizing the need to "stay poised and accept all the tests on this journey."

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After the loss against the Celtics, Irving acknowledged that while the game served as a "litmus test" for Dallas, the team is focused on learning from it ahead of Sunday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

"Yeah, this game was highly intense, with high emotions battle — two of the best teams in the league, and you can tell that some of the mental mistakes and also the mistakes we made, they took full advantage of it, and it was a litmus test. It's just a regular season game at the end of the day."

"We have to get ready for a good game against the Sixers on Sunday, but we just take our lessons, man," Irving continued. "Just grow from it."

Irving has averaged 25.7 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds for the Mavs, shooting 49.1 percent from the floor, 41.8 percent on 3-pointers, and 89.1 percent on free throws. He's continued to provide a needed support for Luka Doncic in the backcourt as the Mavs seek playoff success this season.