When it comes to the NBA season nobody knows what will transpire in the coming months. But that only leads the mind to wander, particularly when it comes to what might be in store for a possible postseason showdown between Kyrie Irving and his former team the Celtics.
And it is this kind of thinking that has Rich Keefe worried.
While discussing the validity of the NBA starting back up and crowning a champion despite months of inactivity, the co-host of the Dale and Keefe Show presented a scenario that would lead to a potentially very uncomfortable dynamic for those rooting for the Celtics -- having to face a healthy Irving in the playoffs without the opportunity to boo him.
"This is my biggest fear, and this could honestly play out: Is if they pick up basketball say in July or August, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both return. Right now they’re the seven-seed," Keefe said. "Let’s say they knock off the Toronto Raptors in the first round and in the second round they would play the Celtics and Kyrie Irving would make his return to Boston for the first time but with no fans.
"He would have like 60 points. ... He missed all those times when Brooklyn came to Boston and he would come here and there would be nobody to boo him. That could happen."
Because of his shoulder injury, Irving never did get exposed to what would have clearly been a venomous reception from the Boston crowd. But with the strong likelihood that no NBA games this season would be played in front of fans, that would seemingly get the former Celtic off the hook when it came to fending off the boo-birds.
One piece of the equation that doesn't seem likely is Durant getting into the mix. Even though Nets general manager Sean Marks recently hinted there would be a chance for the star's return this season despite Durant having been scheduled to miss all of the 2019-20 campaign, that idea was snuffed out by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on his most recent podcast.
"Kevin Durant’s not coming back to the Nets this year. That’s not happening if they play. They’re not playing him," Wojnarowski said.
No matter.
This is mostly about Irving and the opportunity to get him in front of Celtics fans at some point.
"Just boos the snot out of Kyrie Irving, because he deserves it more than anybody," emphasized Keefe.