BOSTON -- Kyrie Irving asked Celtics fans to treat him nicely upon his return to TD Garden, but apparently they didn't get the memo.
As Irving was introduced in the Nets' starting lineup Sunday before Game of Brooklyn's first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, the Garden faithful greeted him with a hearty round of boos.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
That reception was to be expected, as many Celtics fans are still bitter about Irving's departure from Boston in 2019.
After telling fans prior to the 2018-19 season he intended to re-sign with Boston the following summer, the talented guard instead took his talents to Brooklyn in the 2019 offseason to team up with Kevin Durant.
Irving furthered irked the Boston faithful by stomping on the Celtics logo at TD Garden after the Nets dispatched the C's in last year's first-round playoff matchup.
Boston Celtics
So, it was no surprise that Celtics fans let Irving hear it Sunday, booing him every time he touched the ball after the game got underway.
Nets head coach Steve Nash didn't seem to think the Boston crowd would affect Irving in this series; we'll find out if that holds true in Games 1 and 2.
Note: Games 2-6 of the Brooklyn Nets-Boston Celtics series will be aired exclusively on NBC Sports Boston and can also be streamed on NBCSportsBoston.com or with the MyTeams App, which you can download below.