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It’s no secret that Kyrie Irving didn’t leave the Boston Celtics in the best possible way. After boldly proclaiming that he would return to the team in 2018, issues with his teammates arose as he tried to insert himself as the club’s leader after his first year on the squad lost to injury, and after an unceremonious exit in the second round to the Bucks, he fled to Brooklyn.
When presented with his first opportunity to return to TD Garden, Irving decided it would be best to purify himself of the arena atmosphere by burning sage as he walked the field before the game. .
While this seems like a standout shot from his old franchise, it’s not Irving following in the path of some Instagram users attempting to feign spirituality with a culturally appropriate streak. The Nets playmaker’s mother dates back to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota, and Irving was even honored with a traditional Lakota christening ceremony in 2018.
After the game, a 113-89 win for Irving and the Nets, Kyrie explained the thought process behind Burning Sage and why it’s something he plans to continue throughout the season.
“It’s just coming from a lot of native tribes,” Irving said after the game. “Being able to make sage, just purifying the energy, making sure we’re all balanced. When we go into this job, we come to this place, it’s not something I don’t do at home that I did today. was the last game, and I plan to save almost every game if the opposing team allows me.
“But, literally, it’s more or less for us to stay connected and for us to feel good about going to work and feeling safe and subsidized by our ancestors. I’m not going to bring too much spirituality to basketball, but yeah, it’s part of my native culture where I’m from. “
Burning sage, or “smudge,” is a Lakota ritual that is performed before most ceremonies for the purpose of using what is considered to be the “cleanest” grass to chase away the “dirt” from unclean thoughts. , actions and other related issues. In other words, it is a ritual of purification.
The question now becomes what exactly Irving was purifying in TD Garden. Was this the pitch where Celtics fans booed him, when he wasn’t traveling with the Nets for last season’s game at the arena? Was this the space where his former teammates he clashed with during his tenure in Boston? Is it the chairman of the coaches where he and Brad Stevens have disagreements over playing strategies?
Either way, Irving’s ritual has surely cleaned up these impurities and he’s probably more comfortable playing basketball in this arena now.
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