LeBron James rips into 'racist as f***' NBA fanbase
NBA superstar LeBron James has always had his issues with the Boston Celtics.
Few NBA players could claim to occupy as much space in the minds of a rival fanbase the James does with the Celtics, whose fans he's been going back and forth with since he was drafted in 2003.
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James got the opportunity to discuss exactly why there seems to be so much animosty for him among Celtics fans on the latest episode of his talk show 'The Shop', giving an amusing blunt response when the toping came up.
“Cause they racist as f***," he said.
James continued, saying Boston fans had a tendency to take things too far that he had simply had to become numb to it as best as possible.
"They will say anything. And it’s fine. It’s my life, f*** I’ve been dealing with it my whole life. I don’t mind it," he said.
"I hear it. If I hear somebody close by, I check them real quick, then move onto the game. They’re going to say whatever the f*** they want to say.”
Celtics fans have long sought to antagonise James, who held an intense rivalry with the Boston teams lead by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
James discussed how in when he was playing for Miami in 2012, a Boston fan poured a drink on him after the Heat won game six of the Eastern Conference finals on the road.
He also joked that many fans had been wearing 'F*** you, LeBron' t-shirts that had been sold from the team's official store.
Celtics fans have long attracted criticism for over-the-top behaviour during NBA games, with their apperance in the NBA finals this season no exception.
Boston Celtics fans criticised during NBA Finals
Draymond Green's wife took aim at Boston Celtics fans over their 'shameful' and 'disgusting' treatment of her husband in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Green fouled out of the 116-100 loss at a raucous TD Garden to a torrent of audible obscenities from large sections of the Celtics crowd.
At one stage late in the game, fans could be heard chanting "f*ck you Draymond" in unison.
Green's coach Steve Kerr and teammate Klay Thompson both took aim at Celtics supporters after the game, while Green's wife Hazel Renee took to social media to express her disgust.
"Tough loss tonight but in no way shape or form should fans be allowed to chant obscenities at players! Are they not human?" she wrote.
"My kids were at the game tonight hearing that mess? Very disgusting of you little Celtics fans. Just shameful."
Green was more relaxed about the issue when speaking to reporters on Thursday, saying he has no difficulty blocking out the abuse when he is on the court.
However he felt for his family who had to hear it.
"Obviously it can affect them, and I understand that," Green said.
"For me going on the court, those people chanting that out on the floor, quite frankly, my family aren't out there with me either.
"So at the end of the day it's me and my teammates out there on the court versus their guys. That's just what it has to be, channel and focus all my energy there.
"I didn't really give much to the crowd anyway, which I kind of think was a little bit more of an issue than if I did."
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