After Tuesday's Game 2 win over the Celtics, he explained to reporters that he hoped to not experience any racism from fans in the stands at TD Garden on Friday.
"I am just looking forward to competing with my teammates and hopefully, we can just keep it strictly basketball; there's no belligerence or racism going on -- subtle racism," Irving said. "People yelling s--- from the crowd, but even if it is, it's part of the nature of the game and we're just going to focus on what we can control."
When asked if he had ever heard racist comments at TD Garden, Irving responded by saying he "was not the only one that can attest to this," before shrugging. Many athletes through several generations have spoken about experiencing racism in Boston, ranging from local heroes like Bill Russell in the 1960s to opposing players like Adam Jones in modern times.
"I am just looking forward to competing with my teammates and hopefully, we can just keep it strictly basketball; there's no belligerence or racism going on -- subtle racism," Irving said. "People yelling s--- from the crowd, but even if it is, it's part of the nature of the game and we're just going to focus on what we can control."
When asked if he had ever heard racist comments at TD Garden, Irving responded by saying he "was not the only one that can attest to this," before shrugging. Many athletes through several generations have spoken about experiencing racism in Boston, ranging from local heroes like Bill Russell in the 1960s to opposing players like Adam Jones in modern times.
