Boston Celtics Fan to Be Charged With Assault With a Dangerous Weapon for Allegedly Throwing Water Bottle at Kyrie Irving

A Boston Celtics fan has been arrested, and is set to be charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for allegedly throwing a water bottle at Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving.

The incident occurred on Sunday night at the TD Garden in Boston after the Nets defeated the Celtics to take a three games to one lead in the best-of-seven first round playoff series. A bottle was hurled from the crowd and narrowly missed Irving, who was walking into the tunnel.

The suspect has been identified as Cole Buckley of Braintree, MA. Boston police told local reporters that Buckley, who was arrested Sunday, will be arraigned on Tuesday. He has been banned for life from TD Garden.

Irving expressed concern, earlier this week, about such an incident occurring in Boston.

“Hopefully we can just keep it strictly basketball,” Irving said Tuesday. “There’s no belligerence or any racism going on, subtle racism and people yelling shit from the crowd.”

After the game Sunday, Irving — while declining to discuss specifics about the water bottle incident — expanded on his comments from earlier in the weeks.

“It’s been that way in history in terms of entertainment, performers and sports for a long period of time,” Irving said. “Just underlying racism and just treating people like they’re in a human zoo. Throwing stuff at people and saying things. It’s a certain point where it gets to be too much.”

Irving’s teammate, Kevin Durant, blasted belligerent fans.

“When you come to these games, you gotta realize: these men are human,” Durant said. “We’re not animals, we’re not in a circus. You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan. So have some respect for the game, have some respect for these human beings and have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn’t be proud of you throwing water bottles at basketball players or spitting on players or tossing popcorn.

“So grow the fuck up and enjoy the game.”

Sunday night’s incident comes days after two other high-profile fan misconduct episodes during the NBA playoffs — a fan in Philadelphia threw popcorn on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook, while a fan in New York attempted to spit on Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young.

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