"They have shirts that say F LeBron" - Brian Windhorst sheds light on Celtics' hostile fans amid Kyrie Irving's shortcomings

Kyrie Irving has had a hard time playing at the TD Garden during the 2024 NBA Finals against his former team, the Boston Celtics. ESPN's Brian Windhorst shed some light on the difficulty of playing in Boston, especially for players the fanbase didn't like such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

On Monday's episode of "First Take," Windhorst revealed the lengths the Celtics fanbase goes through to make their feelings known about opposing players. He pointed out fans making T-shirts with obscenities toward stars such as LeBron and Kobe.

"When you arrive in the arena, they have shirts that say F LeBron and F Kobe. When I take pictures with people, I got to pay attention to the shirt they're wearing. I don't want to be all of a sudden in a photo where I'm standing with somebody. This is the way in Boston. They play on a different level," Windhorst said.

Kyrie Irving has had a very erratic relationship with the Boston Celtics fanbase ever since he left the team in the summer of 2019 to join the Brooklyn Nets. Irving has struggled at the TD Garden in Games 1 and 2, with a record of 1-13 in his last 14 matchups against Boston.

The one-time NBA champ has been open about his time with the Celtics, admitting that he had trouble forming a relationship with his teammates due to a personal tragedy. He didn't have anything bad to say about the team ahead of the NBA Finals because he was in a good place physically and mentally.

As for LeBron James, he doesn't like the city and made it known back in 2022 in an episode of "The Shop." James even accused Boston of being a racist town even though he's a part owner of the Red Sox as part of the Fenway Sports Group.

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Kyrie Irving gives advice to players who will sign with the Celtics

With NBA free agency happening soon, Kyrie Irving has some advice for players who want to sign with the Boston Celtics. Irving warned about the pressure of wearing the green and white jerseys, as well as the media scrutiny that comes with it due to the franchise's history.

"The community's integrated into the Celtics team, that's probably the best way I can say it. The community is what makes the Celtics great here. The Boston pandemonium, that's what makes this space so loud and so special, and they take pride in it. If any player is coming here getting drafted, or you're thinking about coming here in free agency or getting traded here, I just think do your homework, and make sure you know what you're getting yourself into," Irving said. [H/T CBS Sports]

Irving showed maturity with his comments about playing in Boston and giving advice to whoever wants to sign with the Celtics.