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Shaquille O’Neal tells Kyrie Irving to ‘man up’ after Nets’ star flips off Celtics fans

Kyrie Irving didn’t seem to care for how fans in Boston were treating him during the Nets’ Game 1 loss to the Celtics in Sunday’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal.

In fact, he made it abundantly clear that was the case. First, by flipping off fans multiple times over the course of his 39-point outing. Then by doubling down on his courtside interactions with his postgame comments.

“[If] somebody’s going to call me out of my name, I’m going to look at them straight in the eye and see if they’re really ’bout it,” Irving said. “Most of the time they’re not.”

The Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and the NBA on TNT panel had a much different reaction, essentially telling Irving to get over it.

Not to go all “both sides” here, but if Irving wants to pay off all the likely fines he’ll incur for talking smack to fans, that’s his business. That doesn’t mean everyone else can’t judge him for it, either. Those antics might make him feel good in the moment, but as Charles and Shaq noted, unruly fans are nothing new in this league and they’re sure to get more fired up after hearing what Irving had to say Sunday.

We’ll see if Kyrie is able to take on the Celtics and their crowd in Game 2 this Wednesday night.

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