Smart tired of Kyrie talk: 'It's a slap across everybody' on Celtics
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving didn't play in the club's home-and-home set with the Boston Celtics but still managed to dominate the headlines.
The six-time All-Star exchanged handshakes and embraced some of his former teammates, including Marcus Smart, following the Nets' 112-107 win Friday.
But while the Celtics guard holds no animosity toward Irving for his departure in free agency, he's annoyed by the never-ending conversation surrounding him.
"That's my brother; regardless of what he did," Smart said postgame, per NBC Sports Boston. "He worked hard, and quite frankly, I'm honestly tired of hearing about Kyrie. Kyrie's no longer with the Boston Celtics.
"And it's a slap across everybody on this team now that's here now to keep hearing Kyrie's name because every last one of these guys have put in the work and continue to put in the work. We're here, we're still competing. But yet everybody - including the Boston fans - want to talk about Kyrie. Let’s talk about the Boston Celtics."
Celtics fans let their voices be heard during Wednesday's matchup between the two teams. The Boston crowd chanted "Kyrie sucks" while fliers were posted outside TD Garden with "coward" across Irving's face.
The actions from the Celtics faithful prompted a lengthy response from the former No. 1 pick on his Instagram story.
Irving has missed the past eight games while nursing a shoulder injury. He's averaging 28.5 points, 7.2 assists, and 5.4 rebounds across 11 appearances for the Nets.
Boston (13-5) sits third in the East, two games back of the Milwaukee Bucks for the top seed entering Friday's action.