Kyrie Irving booed mercilessly when introduced in Cleveland
By Kareem Gantt
Kyrie Irving got the treatment from Cavaliers fans that was pretty much expected.
Did Kyrie Irving really expect to receive a warm and fuzzy standing ovation when he was introduced to Cleveland Cavaliers fans?
We sure hope not, especially after Cleveland fans gave him what we all expected to happen when he trotted out onto the Cavs homecourt wearing Boston Celtics green and white.
If you’ve lived in basketball no man’s land for the past few months, you’d know by now that Irving basically broke Cleveland’s heart by demanding a trade out of town. He claimed that it wasn’t because of LeBron James towing stature within the hearts and minds of Cavs fans, but, come on, we know better.
After James came back home and showed Irving how to win on the NBA level, Kyrie had the itch to lead his own team to NBA Finals glory. It could have been anywhere; Phoenix, San Antonio, or any of the other cities that he was rumored to go during a whirlwind offseason.
In the end, he wound up with the Celtics, which caused GM Danny Ainge to give up star-in-the-making Isiah Thomas in the process. Apparently, Cavs fans have yet to forgive Irving for potentially stabbing them in the back by demanding a one-way ticket out of town, and it still boggles the mind why he would really want to leave a set team in the first place?
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Remember, Cleveland fans are passionate about their sports teams, and their sports heroes. Why else would they burn to a crisp LeBron’s jersey when he took his talents to South Beach, and then re-piece them together when he came back home? It’s all about that connection folks, a connection that Irving no longer has with the fans that stuck by him during the trying-post Lebron years.
Kyrie Irving broke their hearts, and they made it known to him that he did on opening night.