Irving slashed 39 points to prevent the Nets from being killed by the Celtics, and Irving encountered crazy boos and accusations from old home fans in Boston, and he also responded with a vertical middle finger and a post-game explosion. Now, according to US media reports, O'Neal gave Irving advice, believing that Irving should not care and complain about these, but should lead the Nets to eliminate the Celtics, which is the best way to fight back.
Irving, who left Boston controversially in 2019, is considered the biggest "villain" in the NBA today, always doing things that spark controversy. Irving didn't let go of the hate, responding several times and saying he would continue to do so, especially after once stepping on the Celtics' home logo to spark controversy.
O'Neill argued that Irving shouldn't have done that, and O'Neill talked about Irving's behavior, noting that Irving should help the Nets eliminate the Celtics in the first round by performing well against the Celtics, which is the best way to retaliate against the Green Army fans. O'Neill added that complaining about the middle finger like Irving would only get fans to increase their taunts.
"It's part of the game... The best thing you can do is maintain a perfect professional attitude and send them home at the end of the series, which is the best thing you can do. I had a conversation with Bill Russell and he told me something I never knew, their personal experience. If you stick with it and become one of the greatest interior lines ever, that's what I'm trying to achieve. That's the elite I want to be, like all the successful people like Ali, Abdul-Jabbar. ”
"Whoever is on the pitch, I will react and send them home. That's how you react, you don't cry and complain about it, especially the fans in Boston, Philadelphia, New York and other places are extremely demanding. In Game 2, the Green Army home fans will have more boos, they will do more things and more taunts. In Boston, they shouldn't care about this, just play well and win games, it's just basketball and I don't want to hear anything else. O'Neill further advised Owen.
To be sure, Irving didn't let doubts affect his performance as he scored 39 points and the Nets were very close to winning the game. But maybe O'Neal thinks Irving shouldn't say anything at the press conference and should just focus on leading the team to win in the second game. Barkley also agreed with O'Neal, noting that there were very few fans who misbehaved during the game.
Durant also spoke about what Irving had to face after the game, noting that he wasn't surprised by the way Celtics fans treated Irving and saw it as part of basketball. Regardless of which side the fans are on, it's undeniable that Irving has been going through a tough time every time he goes to TD North Shore Gardens against the Celtics in this series.
(Text/Drunken Floating Life)