After the Nets sealed their series win against Boston, Kyrie Irving made it a point to stomp on the famous Celtics mid-court logo — the ultimate sign of disrespect towards a franchise that is usually beaming with pride.
Several ex-Celtic players went on record to call out Kyrie for his action, including Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis.
The current Celtics players, however, apparently couldn’t care less, and it became a major concern within the organization.
“[Marcus] Smart has long been a favorite of both [Brad] Stevens and predecessor Danny Ainge, even as Ainge was reportedly exploring trades for Smart,” wrote Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “Despite the continuity in leadership, several team sources suggest the Celtics’ culture of competition is eroding — with more than one source pointing to the players’ perceived indifference toward Kyrie Irving stomping on the Celtics logo after the final home game of the season as a red flag they did not exhibit the same sense of pride in the organization that has been the Celtics’ calling card in years past.”
It might sound ridiculous for the Celtics to make such a seven over a logo, but it’s more about the culture than anything else.
In the past, being a Celtic has always come with a sense of pride and community. TO be a Celtic was a tag that stuck with you for life, and players wearing the green didn’t tolerate any disrespect towards their team.
Now, it seems the young guys don’t have that same level of appreciation. They are just there to play ball, not to get caught up in the traditions of their team.
That’s really not a good sign, and signals that the Celtics are losing some of the respect that has been built up over decades of greatness.
Hopefully, the franchise figures out how to bring some of that fiery identity back into their locker room…
