Kyrie saying he hopes there won't be racist abuse from Boston fans

[Roy H.]

Kyrie is simply being woke.  In that mindset, any criticism aimed at a black person is racist.  That’s why he equates belligerence and yelling smack with racism.

[Rikibellevie]

If he came back from match 3, being agressed by racist speach, I would have been the first to support him and to say my rage against boston fans who have used this speach....

But he creates an horrible smokescrean, using the racist rethoric to protect himself for the legitimate hunger he built by himself. He gave his parole to stay long term here.... Then he left the team during a PO serie, faked to take the loss on him, before doing everything to proove he was for nothing in the fail.... Splitting on Boston on and on...

This guy takes himself for an intellectual. But the only thing flattest than his theory is his brain. When you use racism rethoric, just to protect your little superstar ego, just to insult fans that 99% were supporting you until the time you left the team... When on this period, where real question about racism are there, in US and elsewhere, you use it just for your real person and put fire where there is not... Sorry Kryire, but no Man do that... No man.

[gouki88]

Kyrie is simply being woke.  In that mindset, any criticism aimed at a black person is racist.  That’s why he equates belligerence and yelling smack with racism.

Genius way to protect yourself from criticism! He's a real snake in the grass.

[colincb]

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/05/kyrie-irving-addresses-racism-in-boston-ahead-of-td-garden-return-with-nets-and-a-look-back-at-what-he-said-in-2019.html

Why Irving eventually decided to depart Boston has never been fully clear but Irving has spoken on the topic of racism in Boston while he was a member of the organization. The All-Star guard was asked about it during the final months of his tenure in Boston in March 2019 after a report surfaced that DeMarcus Cousins had heard racist slurs from a fan at TD Garden earlier that season. A subsequent investigation led to a two-year suspension for the fan which became public in March 29th in a team announcement

Irving spoke at length when asked about that situation and racism in Boston but noted in his remarks on that day that he had never dealt with racist comments himself while playing in Boston. Irving played his final game as a Celtic two months later.

“I myself can only speak for playing here as an opponent, I’ve never heard anything like that,” Irving said in March 29, 2019. “But I can only go off of hearing stories. When you hear something like that, especially people of color, I gravitate toward being on anyone’s side, as long as it’s the right side. And really it just matters is treating people with respect. That’s really what it comes down to.”

Was he lying then or now?

[ozgod]

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/05/kyrie-irving-addresses-racism-in-boston-ahead-of-td-garden-return-with-nets-and-a-look-back-at-what-he-said-in-2019.html

Why Irving eventually decided to depart Boston has never been fully clear but Irving has spoken on the topic of racism in Boston while he was a member of the organization. The All-Star guard was asked about it during the final months of his tenure in Boston in March 2019 after a report surfaced that DeMarcus Cousins had heard racist slurs from a fan at TD Garden earlier that season. A subsequent investigation led to a two-year suspension for the fan which became public in March 29th in a team announcement

Irving spoke at length when asked about that situation and racism in Boston but noted in his remarks on that day that he had never dealt with racist comments himself while playing in Boston. Irving played his final game as a Celtic two months later.

“I myself can only speak for playing here as an opponent, I’ve never heard anything like that,” Irving said in March 29, 2019. “But I can only go off of hearing stories. When you hear something like that, especially people of color, I gravitate toward being on anyone’s side, as long as it’s the right side. And really it just matters is treating people with respect. That’s really what it comes down to.”

Was he lying then or now?

He's just pre-empting things so that if he gets the mother of all welcomes he can say it was racist and his worst fears had come true etc. By making his move early he's hoping the fans won't boo him as much. They'll still boo him. The sad thing is by drawing attention to it he may get some idiots that actually do make racist comments.

Also as Ogaju said it's just an additional distraction that the Celtics will have to deal with as I'm sure they will be asked this by reporters in between now and Friday.

[Somebody]

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/05/kyrie-irving-addresses-racism-in-boston-ahead-of-td-garden-return-with-nets-and-a-look-back-at-what-he-said-in-2019.html

Why Irving eventually decided to depart Boston has never been fully clear but Irving has spoken on the topic of racism in Boston while he was a member of the organization. The All-Star guard was asked about it during the final months of his tenure in Boston in March 2019 after a report surfaced that DeMarcus Cousins had heard racist slurs from a fan at TD Garden earlier that season. A subsequent investigation led to a two-year suspension for the fan which became public in March 29th in a team announcement

Irving spoke at length when asked about that situation and racism in Boston but noted in his remarks on that day that he had never dealt with racist comments himself while playing in Boston. Irving played his final game as a Celtic two months later.

“I myself can only speak for playing here as an opponent, I’ve never heard anything like that,” Irving said in March 29, 2019. “But I can only go off of hearing stories. When you hear something like that, especially people of color, I gravitate toward being on anyone’s side, as long as it’s the right side. And really it just matters is treating people with respect. That’s really what it comes down to.”

Was he lying then or now?

He's just pre-empting things so that if he gets the mother of all welcomes he can say it was racist and his worst fears had come true etc. By making his move early he's hoping the fans won't boo him as much. They'll still boo him. The sad thing is by drawing attention to it he may get some idiots that actually do make racist comments.

Also as Ogaju said it's just an additional distraction that the Celtics will have to deal with as I'm sure they will be asked this by reporters in between now and Friday.

Lad's genuinely pulling out some 'woke ****' at this point huh

[Rikibellevie]

I love if the fans create some creative songs like :

"we are not racist ... but you're stupid"
or "flat mind, flat mind"...Something like that

[Kernewek]

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/05/kyrie-irving-addresses-racism-in-boston-ahead-of-td-garden-return-with-nets-and-a-look-back-at-what-he-said-in-2019.html

Why Irving eventually decided to depart Boston has never been fully clear but Irving has spoken on the topic of racism in Boston while he was a member of the organization. The All-Star guard was asked about it during the final months of his tenure in Boston in March 2019 after a report surfaced that DeMarcus Cousins had heard racist slurs from a fan at TD Garden earlier that season. A subsequent investigation led to a two-year suspension for the fan which became public in March 29th in a team announcement

Irving spoke at length when asked about that situation and racism in Boston but noted in his remarks on that day that he had never dealt with racist comments himself while playing in Boston. Irving played his final game as a Celtic two months later.

“I myself can only speak for playing here as an opponent, I’ve never heard anything like that,” Irving said in March 29, 2019. “But I can only go off of hearing stories. When you hear something like that, especially people of color, I gravitate toward being on anyone’s side, as long as it’s the right side. And really it just matters is treating people with respect. That’s really what it comes down to.”

Was he lying then or now?

I think you're presenting a bit of a false binary.

I've heard some fans say some racist stuff inside the Garden (in the cheap seats, not anywhere near courtside). I've heard people say racist stuff outside the Garden. There are some pretty trash people out there, and some of them happen to be Celtics supporters.

It's also true that people can (and do) say things that are unintentionally racist all the time as well, to all sorts of people. Not just athletes.

However.

I have no idea if Kyrie is a good person or not, and I won't presume to pass judgment there, but he absolutely deserves a shower of boos based not on the colour of his skin, but on the content of his professional character.

He left us high and dry, why wouldn't we boo him? Just boo him for what happened on the court, not because of his complexion.

[moiso]

Kyrie is simply being woke.  In that mindset, any criticism aimed at a black person is racist.  That’s why he equates belligerence and yelling smack with racism.

Exactly.  And now he thinks he gets to control the narrative too, as he always does.  He loves to set himself up as the victim.  He's such a perfect guy.  The problem is with the thousands of fans, not him! 

[tenn_smoothie]

So Kyrie, what exactly is the difference between racism and subtle racism ?

The former must be a reference to clear-cut attitudes and language that demean a person based solely on their race. The latter (subtle) is anything Kyrie sees or hears that he decides to label as racist behavior, most of which are illegitimate claims and lies.

Danny's two biggest mistakes - trading Perk and not trading Irving at the deadline.

[jambr380]

What an absolute ass. This a really low blow coming from somebody who hasn't even experienced racism in Boston. Just stirring the pot on something that has historically been a problem in a city that has worked hard to come out the other side. You can't control a small minority of nasty people (and every city has their issues), but Boston/Mass has some of the most liberal policies/laws in the country. What a mistake it was to ever trade for this guy.

[Erik]

Ohhh so that’s why he left. Makes sense now. I forgot that racists don’t live in Brooklyn.

[Moranis]

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/05/kyrie-irving-addresses-racism-in-boston-ahead-of-td-garden-return-with-nets-and-a-look-back-at-what-he-said-in-2019.html

Why Irving eventually decided to depart Boston has never been fully clear but Irving has spoken on the topic of racism in Boston while he was a member of the organization. The All-Star guard was asked about it during the final months of his tenure in Boston in March 2019 after a report surfaced that DeMarcus Cousins had heard racist slurs from a fan at TD Garden earlier that season. A subsequent investigation led to a two-year suspension for the fan which became public in March 29th in a team announcement

Irving spoke at length when asked about that situation and racism in Boston but noted in his remarks on that day that he had never dealt with racist comments himself while playing in Boston. Irving played his final game as a Celtic two months later.

“I myself can only speak for playing here as an opponent, I’ve never heard anything like that,” Irving said in March 29, 2019. “But I can only go off of hearing stories. When you hear something like that, especially people of color, I gravitate toward being on anyone’s side, as long as it’s the right side. And really it just matters is treating people with respect. That’s really what it comes down to.”

Was he lying then or now?

there is absolutely nothing contradictory in what he said then or a day ago.  nothing at all.

[Roy H.]

I've heard some fans say some racist stuff inside the Garden (in the cheap seats, not anywhere near courtside). I've heard people say racist stuff outside the Garden. There are some pretty trash people out there, and some of them happen to be Celtics supporters.

Not that you imply otherwise, but every fan base has its trash.  I’ve seen racism in Boston (Southie in particular).  I’ve seen way more of it in other place where I’ve spent time, like Charleston, Atlanta, Houston and Orlando.  Hell, even an extremely progressive place like Portland, OR was surprisingly anti-Asian and anti-gay when I lived there (early 90s).

There are a lot of meatheads or just downright bad people, no matter where you go.  (As an aside, the most racist place I’ve ever been, by far, was South Africa.  )

[ausbacker]

I'm not one who endorses booing and player abuse but Kyrie has brought what's coming on himself. He's a real piece of work.