Cole Buckley has been identified as the Boston Celtics fan who appeared to throw a water bottle toward Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving as he was walking toward the tunnel after his team's 141-126 victory Sunday.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportA fan appears to throw a water bottle at Kyrie as he heads into the locker room after the Nets-Celtics game.
The 21-year-old was subsequently arrested and will be subject to a lifetime ban from TD Garden:
Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbachHere is a statement from TD Garden regarding the incident in which a fan threw a water bottle at Kyrie Irving.
Shams Charania @ShamsCharaniaThe 21-year-old male who threw a water bottle at Kyrie Irving faces assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charge and will be arraigned on Tuesday, Boston PD say.<br><br>A second fan in Boston was also arrested Sunday night due to assault and battery of a police offer.
Shams Charania @ShamsCharaniaWitnesses told Boston Police that the thrown water bottle grazed Kyrie Irving’s head, the PD said.
Michael McCann @McCannSportsLawWow, Boston Police aren't taking the Kyrie Irving water bottle incident lightly. Assault & battery with a dangerous weapon is a felony in Massachusetts. A conviction can lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 yrs. A plea deal can greatly lower the charge/sentence, but still. Wow.
"Fans got to grow at some point," Kevin Durant told reporters afterward. "... Grow the f--k up and enjoy the game. It's bigger than you."
Kristian Winfield @KrisplashedKevin Durant: "We know how these people are in Boston, and we know how passionate they are about Kyrie in particular."
James Harden added that banning fans who cross the line from arenas may not be enough of a deterrent:
Alex Schiffer @Alex__SchifferJames Harden called the water bottle being thrown at Kyrie Irving "unacceptable." Said banning fans from the arena isn't enough because this behavior continues. "Someone needs to be made an example of."
The bottle toss comes after multiple instances of ugly fan behavior during the NBA playoffs.
A Philadelphia 76ers fan dumped popcorn on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook. A New York Knicks fan spat on Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young. The family of Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was targeted by Utah Jazz fans.
Irving spent two seasons with the Celtics, and public opinion in Boston started turning against him toward the end of his second year there. His decision to sign with the Nets amplified those feelings.
As the Celtics and Nets' first-round series shifted to Boston, the seven-time All-Star addressed the kind of treatment he hoped to avoid.
"I am just looking forward to competing with my teammates and hopefully, we can just keep it strictly basketball; there's no belligerence or racism going on—subtle racism," he said. "People yelling s--t from the crowd, but even if it is, it's part of the nature of the game and we're just going to focus on what we can control."
Celtics general manager Danny Ainge responded and said he had "never heard any of that from any player in my 26 years in Boston" and "never heard that from Kyrie."
However, Celtics guard Marcus Smart alluded to "a couple of things" he had heard in the arena.
"It's hard to hear that and then have them support us as players," Smart said. "It's kind of sad and sickening."
He had also written an essay for The Players' Tribune detailing one Celtics fan calling him the N-word as he was driving away from TD Garden.
