The Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics are set to face off against each other in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Of course, that means that Nets superstar guard Kyrie Irving will have to play in front of a tough Boston crowd.
Irving spent two full seasons with the Celtics before he joined the Nets. The one-time NBA champion has received a lot of hate from Celtics fans since he left the team. Irving is hoping that people will move past his Boston era and just reflect on the good times.
Kyrie Irving is returning (again) to Boston for the playoffs, where he's been Enemy No. 1 among fans. He's over it:
"I hope we could move past my Boston era and reflect on some of the highlights I left at TD Garden that they can replay. Move forward. Just a new paradigm, baby."
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) April 15, 2022
Celtics fans are undoubtedly going to heckle Irving every chance they get. Games 1 and 2 of the series between the Celtics and Nets will take place in Boston, and it’s definitely going to get rowdy inside TD Garden.
During his time with the Celtics, the seven-time All-Star averaged 24.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Irving is now in his third season with the Nets. During the 2021-22 regular season, he averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
The Nets ended up as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference going into the playoffs after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night in the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Brooklyn hobbled its way to a 44-38 record during the regular season. The Nets made some major changes to their roster in the middle of the campaign, trading James Harden away to the 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons. Other players were also involved in the deal.
It’s surely going to be an exciting series between Boston and Brooklyn.
