Celtics fan, 21, is charged with assault and battery after throwing bottle at Kyrie Irving

Celtics fan, 21, is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for ‘throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving’ after the Nets star stomped on Boston’s logo following playoff win

  • Brooklyn Nets beat Boston Celtics 141-126 on Sunday in the first-round playoff  
  • Kyrie Irving scored 39 points but was inches from being hit by a water bottle
  • The fan accused of throwing it, 21-year-old Cole Buckley, was arrested and charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon 
  • The Athletic reported Buckley could be banned for life from Boston’s TD Garden 
  • Irving has complained about the behavior of fans inside NBA arenas 
  • Irving’s teammate Kevin Durant said ‘fans have got to grow up at some point’


A 21-year-old man has been charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon after allegedly throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving after the Nets’ star stomped on the Celtics logo at the end of Boston’s playoff loss to Brooklyn on Sunday. 

The man has been identified as Cole Buckley of Braintree, Massachusetts. He was taken into custody, wearing a green Celtics Kevin Garnett jersey, minutes after the incident. His arraignment is set for Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court.

The bottle did not strike Irving, but it caught his attention, and he and several teammates stopped and had words with the fan, who faces a lifetime ban from TD Garden.

A fan lobbed a bottle at Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving (top) after the clash with Boston Celtics 

The fan was spotted by security and lead away in handcuffs, and could face a lifetime ban

The fan was spotted by security and lead away in handcuffs, and could face a lifetime ban

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving scrapes his foot on the Boston Celtics logo at mid-court after they defeated the Celtics in Game 4 during an NBA basketball first-round playoff series

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving scrapes his foot on the Boston Celtics logo at mid-court after they defeated the Celtics in Game 4 during an NBA basketball first-round playoff series

The Nets won 141-126 to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series. After the victory, Irving made a point to step on the Celtics logo at midcourt before heading to the locker room.

Irving addressed the occurrence after the game.

‘People just feel very entitled out here,’ Irving said. ‘They paid for the tickets. Great. I’m grateful they’re coming in to watch a great performance. But we’re not at the theater. We’re not throwing tomatoes and other random stuff at the people that are performing. It’s too much. And it’s a reflection on us as a whole.’

‘It’s unfortunate that sports has come to this crossroads where a lot of old ways are coming up,’ Irving, who played for the Celtics from 2017-19, said after the game.

‘It’s been that way for entertainment for a long time with underlying racism and just treating people like they are in a human zoo.’

Irving drew boos throughout the game from the crowd of 17,226. He played for Boston for two seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19 before heading to Brooklyn, despite telling fans he intended to re-sign with the Celtics

Irving scored 39 points and had 11 rebounds in the game. Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Brooklyn.

The Nets guard has spoken-out about the treatment of NBA players from fans inside the arenas

The Nets guard has spoken-out about the treatment of NBA players from fans inside the arenas 

Irving scored 39 points against his old team before the evening turned sour as he walked off

Irving scored 39 points against his old team before the evening turned sour as he walked off

The conduct of fans has been an issue for the NBA lately, with five spectators hit with indefinite bans for ‘completely unacceptable’ behavior towards players and their families in separate incidents last week.  In one incident, a Knicks fan was caught spitting at Hawks star Trae Young while in another, a 76ers fan was caught throwing popcorn on Washington’s Russell Westbrook. 

On Sunday, Nets forward Kevin Durant said fans need to ‘grow up’. 

‘Fans have got to grow up at some point,’ Durant said. ‘I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic has got a lot of people on edge, has got a lot of people stressed out. But when you come to these games you’ve got to realize: These men are human. We’re not animals. We’re not in the 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 the 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 (expletive) up and enjoy the game,’ he said. ‘It’s bigger than you.’  

On Sunday, Nets forward Kevin Durant (left, No. 7 in black) said fans need to 'grow up'

On Sunday, Nets forward Kevin Durant (left, No. 7 in black) said fans need to ‘grow up’