Nets’ Kyrie Irving reportedly likely to play at TD Garden vs Celtics

The former Celtic floor general will likely make his first appearance at Boston’s TD Garden since leaving the team in 2019.

Former Boston Celtic and current Brooklyn Net star point guard Kyrie Irving is likely to play against his former team in the two team’s 2020-21 preseason tilt on Friday, Dec. 18 per the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.

Irving, who has missed several opportunities to return to his former home of TD Garden since decamping to the Nets at the end of the 2018-19 season to team up with superstar Kevin Durant, has been accused of avoiding the eventual reunion. Given how some fans reacted to his exit and the mercurial guard’s tendency to opt out of situations he deems distasteful — even to the point of being fined for skipping out on media availability — it is certainly plausible.

But now, with no fans in the arenas due to the protocols put in place by the league and local government, it seems the ideal environment for Irving to put that event behind him.

Will it be a revenge tour of sorts? Or just all business in an effectively meaningless game, the real contest between the two clubs set to take place just days before Christmas with games counting for their Dec. 22 meeting at Brooklyn.

We’re just hours away from finding out.

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