It’s been five years since the Knicks traded away Kristaps Porzingis, but the fans have renewed their boos now Porzinigis is with the Celtics.
The Latvian big man was welcomed back to MSG with loud boos, but it didn’t phase him and his team.
“I enjoy [the boos] to be honest,” Porzingis told reporters after the game. “They kind of went down in my years in Washington, but still getting booed. I feel like now they’ve ramped up again a little bit with me being with the Celtics and having this kind of rivalry with the Knicks.”
Boston took down New York 116-102 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, much to the Knicks fans’ dismay.
The first-seeded Celtics were able to kill the Knicks defense by shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three.
“As I always say, I prefer any kind of emotion over no emotion,” Porzingis said. “So it’s either cheers or our boos, I want it and tonight was no different. Big game. [National] TV game. Fans were into it. And then we just took care of business.”
Since the C’s (45-12) and the Knicks (34-23) are both doing well in the East, it is plausible that the two teams could matchup in the postseason.
That is something the big man would absolutely welcome.
“I think it’s healthy,” Porzingis told New York Post before the game. “I don’t mind it. It’s passion. Knicks fans are passionate. Especially if we see them in the playoffs, for example, it’s gonna be a crazy environment and crazy emotions, so I look forward to that.”
Porzingis spent his first three-and-a-half seasons in the NBA with the Knicks as a former lottery pick.
READ MORE: Kyle Lowry’s Sixers Debut Ends in Stitches