Kyrie Irving flips off Boston crowd and says he is returning Celtics fans’ energy

• All-Star guard has tense history with his former team
• Celtics, Bucks and Heat win their playoff series openers

Kyrie Irving said he was returning the same energy" to Boston Celtics fans after giving them the middle finger during a thrilling playoff game on Sunday.

Irving has a history of bad blood with Celtics fans after leaving the team under acrimonious circumstances in 2019. In the past he is wary of subtle racism" from the crowd at TD Garden. In last season's playoffs he angered Celtics fans when he appeared to stomp on the team's logo after a game and had water thrown over him by a member of the crowd.