It didn't take much for Jae Crowder to turn on Boston fans


For some reason, Jae Crowder took exception to the fans cheering for Gordon Hayward at the TD Garden.

Before the Celtics beat the Jazz 115-104 Wednesday, fans at the Garden gave Hayward a warm reception. Hayward's talent, ties with coach Brad Stevens and contract situation have made him a target for Boston fans for quite some time, given all the assets Danny Ainge has at his disposal to snag such a player. Some see Hayward as the guy who helps Boston take on and possibly even beat the best teams in the league.

Well that reception did not amuse Crowder.



It's a little confusing as to why Crowder would get so upset about this given that he was quite upset Boston didn't snag free agent Kevin Durant this past summer.

But upset doesn't even scratch the surface of what Crowder went on to retweet and then say (and delete) on Twitter after the game.

Here's the retweet.



And here's what he said himself when fans went at him about possibly playing somewhere else thanks to Jay King over at MassLive.

@mattframingham < I HAVE NO PROBLEM LEAVING IT.!

— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) January 4, 2017

@ForeverGreen_ < MAN DO WHATEVER YOU GUYS WANT. I KNOW ILL BE APPRECIATED OTHER PLACES . MAN NO SLEEP LOST ON EITHER SIDES.

— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) January 4, 2017

The first tweet is in response to a fan who told Crowder he could love Boston or leave it. The second was about the Celtics possibly trading him away, as Crowder is locked up for less than $8M per year until 2020. All of this looks bad.

First off, Crowder and Hayward can absolutely play together. Crowder can play the four while Hayward plays the three or put Crowder at the three and Hayward at the two. However you want to slice it, Crowder would have the same, if not more, minutes issues with Durant in green.

Even if Boston acquiring Hayward meant Crowder would have to go to the bench, does he really think that would hurt this team? Hayward's current stat lines are 22.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 3.7 apg while shooting over 36 percent from behind the arc. Crowder is currently averaging 13 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 2.3 apg while shooting 41.2 percent from downtown. Crowder is the better deep shooter (at the moment and has never been better than 33.6 percent in his career until now), but Hayward has him beat when it comes to most other stats.

via NESN
With all of that said, Crowder did something that many fans may find unforgivable, he turned his back on them. Crowder was nothing more than a throw-in rotation player when Boston traded Rajon Rondo to Dallas. Since he's been in green he's been a fan favorite. He was Bae Crowder. Who doesn't love a scrappy guy who plays hard and hits shots? It's not quite the same as when Isaiah Thomas came to Boston, but it's damn close. We embraced him and he embraced us, until this.

That's the rub with Boston fans. When they love you, they love you (Ask IT4 or Horford who's father said he signed here in part because of the fans). That is until you spout some bull about happily playing elsewhere. Crowder thinks fans disrespect him? After tonight, he might have earned it.



Photo credit: CSNNE


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