Despite the clear message on fan behavior sent by the NBA and the Boston Celtics both, a guest attending Game 4 of the first-round series between the Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets threw a water bottle at Nets star Kyrie Irving, earning himself a lifetime ban from TD Garden and an arrest by local police according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
A rash of poor and perhaps racially motivated behavior has spread around the league in recent days, with incidents of arena attendees using abusive language, throwing things and even spitting on players making news for all the wrong reasons this week. Irving ruffled feathers when he stated he hoped to avoid such interactions, which he framed as “subtle” racism.
“We are not animals, we are not in the circus, so grow the [expletive] up,” demanded teammate Kevin Durant after the contest while speaking with the media postgame.
The star Celtic wing addressed the media ahead of Boston’s big win on Friday. https://t.co/z9cAJg9mGw
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 30, 2021