May 30, 2021
Irving Scrapes Celtics Midcourt Logo; Water Bottle Thrown
On May 30, 2021 after Game 4 of the Nets–Celtics first-round series, video showed Kyrie Irving scraping his sneaker across the Celtics midcourt logo; a fan later threw a water bottle at him and was detained. The act prompted criticism from figures such as Kevin Garnett and intensified the adversarial narrative [2][7][5].
Quick Facts
What Happened
On May 30, 2021, following a Brooklyn Nets victory in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series at TD Garden, camera footage and fan-uploaded video captured Kyrie Irving heading toward center court to greet teammates and appearing to scrape or stomp his sneaker across the Celtics' midcourt logo [2]. Video of the action circulated rapidly on social platforms and was reported by local outlets, which noted both the visible scrape and subsequent reactions inside the arena [2]. As Irving walked back toward the locker room later that night a fan threw a water bottle at him; that fan was taken into police custody and faces a possible lifetime ban from TD Garden per local reporting [2]. Former Celtic Kevin Garnett publicly criticized Irving's logo scrape on social media, saying, "You can't do that. That's not coo on no level .. All of us need to be better frfr (for real for real)" [5]. The incident combined a symbolic on-court gesture, a physical fan response, and immediate social-media and ex-player reaction, creating a concentrated escalation point in the Irving–Boston dynamic [2][5][7].
What They Said
“You can't do that. That's not coo on no level .. All of us need to be better frfr (for real for real).”
“(It’s) just underlying racism, and treating people like they’re in a human zoo.”
Why It Matters
The May 30, 2021 logo scrape mattered because it was a visible, symbolic action performed directly on the Celtics' trademark midcourt image, which many fans interpreted as disrespectful and provocative, and because it provoked a physical response (a thrown water bottle) that implicated arena security and law enforcement [2][7]. The combination of symbolic desecration and a fan's physical act expanded the conflict from verbal boos to actions with safety and disciplinary implications, and public condemnation from a Celtics legend (Kevin Garnett) amplified the narrative [5].
What Happened Next
After the incident the fan who threw the bottle was detained and faced potential lifetime ban from TD Garden, according to local reporting [2]. Kevin Garnett's criticism circulated on social platforms and in local media, reinforcing negative views of Irving's behavior among some Boston observers [5]. The episode was repeatedly referenced in media coverage and by commentators as part of the pattern connecting Irving's 2019 departure with visible provocations on his returns; it also set the stage for heightened scrutiny of Irving during subsequent playoff visits, including the April 17, 2022 middle-finger episode [2][5][1].