Celtics fans should be embarrassed by recent vitriol toward 2008 champion

Who's the most hated former Celtics player on social media right now? No, it's not one of the stars of their upcoming NBA Finals opponent, Kyrie "If you'll have me back..., quit on team, couldn't handle the boos afterwards so he stoked racial flames (after previously stating he had experienced racism in Boston, stomp on the Celtics mascot" Irving. No it's not any of the former Celtics players who defrauded the NBA's healthcare plan.

It's a starter from the 2008 champion Celtics. And it's no longer Ray Allen, who let's be honest deserved flack for after considering it disrespectful when Boston made him their 6th man and offered more than any other team (but less than what he was asking) left to join the Celtics' current biggest rival at the time who had just defeated the Celtics in 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Took much less money to play with LeBron and the Heat as well.

Similar to previous Boston stars of the past that had left for a rival like Wade Boggs or Johnny Damon, Ray deserved to be treated like a villain in Boston for a short time. Eventually it got played out and hopefully that's all over. But regardless of how Celtics "fans" feel about Ray, Kendrick Perkins is now the owner of the #1 spot of hatred by these fans on social media.

Yes the same Perkins who when he was traded, it devastated Celtics Nation. Are these the same fans who were devastated in 2011 or saw a 23 year old Perkins step us as the starting center in 2008? Are they the same fans that lamented what could have been if Perkins didn't blow out his knee with the Celtics up 3-2 in the 2010 NBA Finals? Who knows.

What we do know is that Perkins mortal sin to these "fans" is that when he became a national analyst and thus had to stop being a homer, his words, votes, and predictions stopped aligning with their's. You know these fans. Every team has them. They seem to care more how their players are viewed by everyone else than they care about winning.

They go bezerk over any opinion that their guy isn't the best, the MVP, All-NBA, an All-Star, etc. Anyone who doesn't predict that the Celtics are going to win a game or a series is a "HATER!" They don't comprehend any difference between who you predict will win and who you want to win. They are the "Celtics in 4" crew.

They care more about a player getting the brinks truck or super max than they ironically care about winning. They lobbied hard for Jaylen Brown to be classified as a guard last season for All-NBA purposes, so that he could make $50+ million more with a super max deal than just a max deal (which was still more than any other team could pay him) because they want to be loved by their fellow stans and are shortsighted.

Knowledgeable fans are aware that Jaylen getting a super max deal hurts the Celtics ability to keep this expensive core of Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis together. Knowledgeable fans know that even if ownership blasts past every luxury tax apron, they will still lose first round picks.

Knowledgeable fans know that the Celtics core 7 (the above 5, plus Al Horford and Payton Pritchard) were all either drafted by the Celtics or acquired in a trade where Boston parted with 1st round draft picks. But they don't care. They just want the social media likes and fellating.

These "fans" will claim they will stop rooting for the Celtics if one of their binkies like Marcus Smart or Robert Williams ever gets traded. If you ever even suggested a Smart or Time Lord trade you were forever branded a "HATER" by these people. Of course they didn't stop rooting for the Celtics after both were traded. Most now suspiciously have flipped positions and think Holiday is a better defender than Marcus and believe that Williams, 6th Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, and two first round picks was a "steal" for the Celtics.

These same "fans" that would have bashed you mercilessly if you ever suggested trading Smart, Time Lord, and Brogdon for Holiday and Porzingis now sing a different tune. And here's the thing. You are allowed to be a blind homer of your favorite team and players. But when you start insulting others because they don't act in the same worshipping, stan ways, then you are embarrassing yourselves and the rest of the team's fans that you root for.

Real Celtics fans can predict the Celtics to defeat the Mavs or to lose to the Mavs in this upcoming NBA Finals. What matters is who they are ROOTING for. You can be upset with a player's play or effort and still be a fan. As long as you aren't directly insulting them either at the TD Garden or in their replies on social media.

Trust me not one of the other 29 NBA teams' fanbases thinks Kendrick Perkins is a Celtics hater. That's laughable. Yes, he makes a concerted effort with his voting privileges and analyst work not to come off as biased for the Celtics, but that's a far cry from being biased against.

And again, a national analyst predicting your team will win has absolutely zero bearing on if they will win. And what used to matter to fans of the Boston Celtics was championships. Not end of the year honors and voting. When Perk talks about the Celtics, as part of his job he's supposed to treat them no different than the Dallas Mavericks.

In 2011 it was amazing to see the outpouring of love shown by Celtics fans to Perkins when he was traded. And now in 2024, it's a complete embarrassment to see how a vocal group mob of Celtics fans are representing us all. I'm not one of these "Delete this!" people. But Celtics fans can do better moving forward. The idea that Kendrick Perkins is no longer welcome in Boston is both idiotic and laughable.

KG (Pierce, Rondo, Ray, Rondo, etc) all love Perk; But you think you're on the right side with your X mob?

Perkins gave his all for the Celtics and was a key member of a championship team. He stepped up into a larger playoff role when KG was injured and gladly was willing to step back into a lesser role when Garnett returned. He stepped up for Boston and Celtics fans when Kyrie changed his story about them. He's never done or said anything to hurt Boston.

Do I agree with everything Perk says? Of course not. If you ever agree with every single thing another person says, that's suspicious to be honest. But Perk has rooted for and supported Boston for over twenty years now. Ever since he arrived as a teenager back in 2023. And hopefully he will continue to root for the Celtics and feel loved in Boston despite this recent embarrassing behavior by a Twitter mob.

Perkins helped the Celtics win as a player and has never caused the Celtics to lose due to his analysis and op[inions since then. What would hurt the Celtics is the perception that our fans are such fanatics that they would even turn on and attack former championship players they once loved due to absolute nonsense.

Don't like Perk's opinions? Fine, ignore him then. They say opinions are like assholes. Everyone has them. In this case you're being the assholes for attacking a man due to his harmless opinions. Be better. Directing insults at one of your past champions only makes the rest of us have zero desire to hear any more of your opinions. The difference is we're not going to put some internet mob together to bully you.

Again, starting today May 31, 2024, try to turn over a new leaf and treat all Celtics fans (even the ones who sometimes predict the team will lose or that a trade would help) with respect. And if you can't do that. Then at least just ignore them. Celtics fans have long been known as the best fans in the world. Don't tarnish our reputation.

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